Claims
by Tsukishiro Ayame R
Summary: *NOW COMPLETE*Honda Tohru is your everyday bubblehead: a bit too kind, a bit too innocent. Having moved in with Sohma Shigure his cousins, Tohru learns a lot about the Sohmas. But what happens when she develops feelings for just one of the boys?
1. The Dream

**Konnichiwa minna-san! This is my first fanfic, so please be nice!**

**DISCLAIMER: I am sorry to say that I do not own Fruits Basket (aka Furuba) or any of its characters. The only thing I own in Claims is its plot, because Natsuki Takaya owns the rest. Although I wouldn't mind owning Kyo….**

**WARNING: This fanfic is rated R for a reason! There is LOTS of lemony-ness in this fic (as you will see), and it is therefore in your best interests to find another fic if you don't like lemons. There may be some yaoi in later chapters, but that is yet to be decided. **

**SUMMARY: Honda Tohru has been staying with the Sohmas for some time now. She knows that she cares for them all, but what happens when she discovers that her feelings for one of the Sohma boys rivals that of all the others?**

**Chapter 1: The Dream**

Tohru's P.O.V

"_Kyo_…" the voice was husky and tinged with lust. I could feel that my body was hot; sweat trickled down my back, along my slender spine.

"_Kyo."_ That name, being called out by a voice. My voice. "_Kyo_…"

I felt him before I saw him; hands being run along my sides, warm kisses trailing themselves down my throat, along my collarbone. I felt his tongue lapping at the droplets of sweat that coursed across my skin. I felt his breath as he murmured my name into my ear.

"_Tohru_."

His voice sent a shiver throughout my entire body. He then kept himself distanced from me; his body held above mine as he sat back on his haunches, leaning over me as if he were a cat, staring predatorily down at his now-helpless prey. I could see his eyes, a deep, beautiful crimson in the silvery light of the waxing moon. My eyes traveled down, grazing over his toned chest, the ripple of his flat stomach as he sat there, still as if he were made of marble. I was afraid to look any further. I flicked my eyes back up to his face, gazing into those ruby colored orbs as if they could keep me from sinning. I whispered the only name that came to mind, praying it would not set of a cataclysm.

"_Kyo_."

He smiled, then, and leaned into me. I gasped as his hands brushed against my breasts, my heart pounding within its tiny cage.

"It seems you've finally realized what you want," Kyo murmured, his lips a mere centimeter from my left ear. "But," he added sagely, "are you sure that you are ready?"

I looked at him curiously, my mind reeling with the scent of him and the tingling feeling of our bodies being so close to each other. The buttons on his white shirt had come undone at the top, and…_Oh, Kami-sama_. I had subconsciously arched my hips upward, bringing them into contact with the bulge in his pants that I knew was going to be my undoing.

I let out a slight moan as he pushed down, rubbing his thighs against mine.

"Ah, you are ready, then. Tell me, dear Tohru-chan, who are you?" His voice was so deep, so rich and tantalizingly sweet. I wanted to bottle his voice and keep it so that I could savor it at all hours of the day.

"Who are you?"

I could hardly breathe, he was so close, oh, kami-sama, how I wanted to taste his sweet lips…

"Who are you?"

"Yours," I moaned. Kyo's hands were trailing themselves down along my sides again, tracing circles on my ribs and stomach.

"That's a good girl; precisely what I wanted to hear."

**A/N: Sorry about the chapter being so short. I'm going to try and update as soon as possible, as well as keep my storyline as close to the essence of the original manga as possible. Please review! **

**Arigatou,**

**Tsukishiro Ayame**


	2. Could We Walk Home Together?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fruits Basket (aka Furuba). I wish I owned Kyo-kun, though…

**A/N: Gomen nasai for such a cheesy last chapter. I promise I'll try to do better in the future. And about the random Japanese you will find here and in later chapters…yeah, I do it. No, I don't care if you don't like it. I do, and I'm going to continue using random Japanese because of that. So nyah. **

WARNING: LEMONS.

**Chapter 2: Could We Walk Home Together?**

Tohru's P.O.V.

I awoke to the sound of Shigure-san's voice, calling my name as Kyo-kun yelled at him to shut up.

"Toh-ruuuu-kun! I'm hungry!"

"Shut up! She deserves to sleep in once in a while!"

"But, who will make breakfast then? Certainly you don't want Yuki to cook."

"ORDER OUT!"

There was a loud slamming sound, followed by a rip, so I knew that Kyo-kun had run out the paper door, and Shigure-san was left standing in the hallway, still hungry.

The Sohma family had been so very kind to me; allowing me to stay with them when it was discovered that I was living in a tent by myself, letting me keep my memories even after I found out their terrible secret…I smiled slightly, remembering the day I found out that the Sohmas were curse by the vengeful spirits of the Chinese Zodiac. Yuki-kun…well, I had still called him Sohma-kun back then…had been leading me to my room, with Shigure-san carrying some of my belongings in a paper bag. The little things, of course.

We (Yuki-kun and I) had just begun to put things away when Kyo-kun had come bursting through the ceiling, his orange hair in disarray.

"Yo. Are you ready for me to break your neck, Rat-boy?"

Are you ready…

Are you ready…

I blushed, suddenly, remembering last night's dream, the one where Kyo-kun and I were…

"TOHRU-KUN!"

"Ah!" I jumped, throwing myself out of bed and into my school uniform. I dragged a brush through my sandy hair just in time to look fairly presentable when a pouting Shigure-san burst through the door.

"Tohruuuu-kun, I'm hungry, and there is no comparison between your cooking and take-out," he cried.

"Ah! G-go-gomen nasai!" I gabbled, bowing quickly. _How could I have let them go hungry like that! Oh, I'm so terrible, getting lost in my own thoughts!_

I dashed out of the room, still bowing, and ran to the kitchen so that I could prepare breakfast.

"Kyo-kun!"

Kyo-kun turned towards me, his left hand on upon his hip, his right hand stirring a pot of miso soup. The rice cooker dinged cheerfully.

"Kyo-kun, gomen nasai! I overslept, and, and, ano…"

When had he gotten so close? I looked into his ruby-red eyes, our noses practically rubbing, my face heating as I once again recalled last night's dream.

"Hey…you okay? You're not sick, are you?" Kyo-kun's voice was suddenly very gentle. "If you are, that damned rat will..Blarrrrgh!"

I blinked as Kyo-kun went careening into the refrigerator door. A couple of magnets 'ping'-ed off his head as Kyo-kun slid down onto the floor.

"KUSO NEZUMI!"

Yuki-kun looked extremely calm as he completely ignored Kyo-kun and said, "You're alright, aren't you, Honda-san? I must apologize about Kyo disturbing you as you were busy preparing breakfast."

"A…Ano…"

"Damn you…."

Kyo-kun had finally stood up and looked just about ready to rip Yuki-kun's head off when Shigure-san came in.

"Ah! Tohru-kun, I see that breakfast is finally ready. How wonderful! Now, you had all better hurry up and eat, lest you be late for school."

Watashi. No. Kami-sama. School. I looked down at my watch as a loud "eep!" escaped my lips. "Yuki-kun! Kyo-kun! We're late!"

Kyo's P.O.V

After rushing to school, (way behind that damned Yuki, mind you. It's not that I'm slower than that rat or anything, I just couldn't stand seeing him smile at Tohru and enjoy himself as if he owned the whole freaking world. As if he weren't cursed.) I distanced myself from the rest of the group, wandering around the grounds while they went to homeroom. Later on, I opted that spending a day on the roof was a much more appealing idea than sitting inside and getting chewed out by that accursed teacher, whatever the fuck her name is. Anyhow, I decided to spend the day on the roof, watching the clouds and visiting with a few cats that must have followed me up there, when I heard someone calling out my name.

"Kyo-kun? Where did you go?"

Ah, it was Tohru. I could see her clearly over the edge of the roof once I sat up. She had her delicate hands cupped around her mouth as she called for me, her skirt ruffled by the cool autumn breeze.

"Kyo-kun! Where are you?"

:sigh: _This girl just won't give up, will she? It's almost kind of…cute. _I shook my head. What kind of random thought was that?

Hopping onto the ladder, I called down to her:

"I'm up here, dammit! Where else would I be!"

I didn't mean to yell at her, really. It's just…I'm not used to people, and the way she makes me feel inside just confuses me even more. Especially after that dream I had about her last night, too…my face pinked at the recollection.

FLASHBACK

"_Kyo_…"Her voice was husky and tinged with lust. I could feel that my body was hot; my shhert stuck to me and shiver reverberated down my spine.

"_Kyo."_ That name, being called out by a voice. Her voice. "_Kyo_…"

I ran hands along her sides, my lips trailed warm kisses down her throat, along her collarbone. I felt my tongue lapping at the droplets of sweat that coursed across her skin. Salty sweet. I murmured her name into her ear.

"_Tohru_."

I felt her body shudder at the sound of my voice. I then kept myself distanced from her; my body held above mine as I sat back on my haunches, leaning over her as if I were a cat, staring predatorily down at my now-helpless prey. I could see her eyes, a deep, beautiful chocolate in the silvery light of the waxing moon. My eyes traveled down, grazing over her supple breasts, two rounded mounds beneath the smooth cloth of her shirt. I was afraid to look any further. I flicked my eyes back up to her face, gazing into those bittersweet orbs as if they could keep me from sinning. I whimpered the only name that came to mind, praying it would not set of a cataclysm.

"_Tohru_."

I smiled, then, and leaned into her. I gasped as my hands brushed against her breasts, my heart pounding.

"It seems you've finally realized what you want," I murmured, my lips a mere centimeter from her left ear. "But," I added sagely, "are you sure that you are ready?"

She looked at me curiously, my mind reeling with the scent of her and the tingling feeling of our bodies being so close to each other. The buttons on my white shirt had come undone at the top, and…_Oh, Kami-sama_. I had subconsciously pushed my hips downward, rubbing the bulge in my pants against her.

"Ah, you are ready, then. Tell me, dear Tohru-chan, who are you?"

She moaned.

"Who are you?"

"Yours," She moaned. My hands were trailing themselves down along her sides again, tracing circles on her ribs and stomach.

"That's a good girl; precisely what I wanted to hear," I responded.

END FLASHBACK

"Kyo-kun, would you like to walk home together after school?"

I blinked. Then I got angry. "You came all the way out here, yelled for me, had me climb down from my comfortable spot on the roof, JUST TO ASK IF WE COULD WALK HOME TOGETHER!" I could feel the veins pulsing on my forehead. I vaguely wondered if I looked nearly as angry as I would have liked to have seemed.

"AH! Gomen nasai, Kyo-kun! I wasn't thinking! Gomen nasai!" She was bowing clumsily, her face as red as a cherry tomato. I felt my anger begin to wane.

"Gah, it's not anything you've done wrong," I said roughly. "I just figured…well, I mean, I just figured that you'd walk home with that damned rat, like how you always do. Besides, don't you have work or something?"

Tohru smiled up at me then. "Iie, "she said. "I have the night off, and Yuki-kun is going to be late because of a meeting. That's why I wanted to walk home with you."

That smile…I will always blame the following actions I took on that far-too-innocent smile of hers.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her as close as I possible could without her making me transform. I looked down into her gorgeous brown eyes and..._wait, since when did I start thinking of her eyes being 'gorgeous'! Oh well, it doesn't matter. _And...where was I? Oh, yeah. I looked down into her wide eyes and leaned in, inclining my head so that we were a mere centimeter apart as I…

whispered in her ear.

"Of course, I'll walk home with you, then."

Then I released my hold on her shoulders and bounded away, just as Tohru's friends, the yankee and the psychic freak, better known as Hanajima and Uotani, rounded the corner. I could hear them talking from my place on the rooftop.

I lay back and stared up at the sky.

I couldn't wait for school to be over.


	3. Rainfall and Confessions

**AN: Konnichiwa, Minna-san! Thank you all for taking the time to read 'Claims,' and for your reviews! I'm so happy and honoured to be able to write for you all::bows:  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Fruits Basket,_ aka _Furuba_.  
WARNING: Sexual content may be present**

**Chapter 3: Rainfall and Confessions**

Once the end of school came, signified by the tolling of a loud bell, nestled in the depths of the clock tower, Sohma Kyo and Honda Tohru began their walk home. Kyo had come down from the roof, lethargic from the warm, lazy sunlight, and was now walking hand in hand with Tohru, something he never really thought much of.  
"Kyo-kun?"  
Kyo lifted his head lazily. Too much sun really does tire you out…he thought, absently. "Hai?"  
Tohru stopped walking, pulled her hand out of Kyo's and began to fidget. Kyo looked at her, concern overcoming his sun-induced lethargy.  
"Ano..Um…I was wondering if we could stop by the park on the way home. There's kind of something I wanted to talk to you about," Tohru murmured nervously. Her voice was barely audible, but Kyo heard her, all the same.  
"Sure, Tohru. Whatever you want."  
Tohru's head flew up. Her brown eyes were wide with shock. "Kyo-kun…did you, ano, did you just…call me by my name?"  
Kyo's face went beet red. It was the first time he had actually allowed himself to call Tohru by her name. Normally he would walk about and just direct his statements at her, not calling her by anything besides "you idiot!" every now and again.  
"Um…" How do I tell her it was just an accident without hurting her feelings? If I yell at her, I know she's going to cry, and that damned rat will go psycho if he finds out…what the hell?  
Kyo's thought process was momentarily interrupted by the soft 'plip-plop' of rain.  
"When the Hell did it start raining!" he fumed.  
Tohru looked as if the world were coming to an end. "Oh, no! You don't like the rain, do you? And I don't have an umbrella! Oh, you're going to catch cold, Kyo-kun! We'd better hurry home!" Tohru was obviously panicking, her random blabbering was a dead give-away.  
"Hey! It's okay. We'll just skip the park, and you can tell me whatever it is when we get home. And don't worry about me catching cold. We'll use my jacket as an umbrella, okay?"  
Tohru looked at Kyo as he pulled his heavy green coat off his shoulders and held it over his head.  
"Come on and get under it!" he shouted, as Tohru continued to stand in the rain, droplets running down the sides of her face like beads of sweat.  
"Ah! Hai!"  
Tohru slid under Kyo's outstretched arm and into the shelter of his jacket as they walked home. The going was slow, because they had to be very careful that Kyo didn't run into Tohru's back, or that Tohru would trip over something and fall onto Kyo, making him transform. Nothing could be as bad as a wet cat and a bubblehead without an umbrella.  
When the pair finally got home, Shigure was sitting at the kotatsu, reading the newspaper, a steaming cup of tea in front of him. He looked up as he heard the front door open, and a loud, male voice shouting,  
"GAH! I HATE RAIN!"  
Shigure smiled. That Kyo. He never changes. Folding his newspaper neatly, Shigure rose from the table and made his way to the entrance hall, where a sopping wet coat was thrown on the floor and a slightly damp Kyo was shaking water out of his hair. Tohru was standing off to the side, a dry towel in her hands.  
"Um…Kyo-kun," she began.  
"WHAT!"  
"K-kore," Tohru stammered, holding out the towel to the very disgruntled looking cat.  
All of a sudden, Kyo felt very stupid, indeed. "Oh. Thanks," he muttered, rubbing the towel over his bright orange hair, causing it to puff out and resemble something very much like a hairy cheeseball.  
Shigure decided that this would be a perfect time to make his presence known.  
"Ah, the beautiful flower of our humble home has returned, accompanied by the stupid Kyo." He paused and looked about dramatically. "But where is the prince that usually travels alongside this sodden pair? Was he detained by some unknown force!"  
"Shut up, baka inu," Kyo snapped. "The damned rat is still at school; some meeting or other."  
"Ah!" Shigure cried. "So it was our valiant Kyo who brought little Tohru-kun home through the pelting rain! What a brave attempt at being our flowers suitor!"  
"NA-NANI!" Kyo's eyes were little slits in his face. "WHO THE HELL WOULD WANT TO BE HER SUITOR! WHAT KIND OF CRACK ARE YOU ON?"  
"A-ano…"  
"Oh, poor Tohru-kun," Shigure said, pulling Tohru over to him, but not quite embracing her. "It's quite alright. After all, there are still two others in this house who would love to make you into a beautiful bride. Why, I myself wouldn't hesitate to—"  
Shigure's pedophiliac speech was abruptly ended by Yuki coming in and whacking him across the head with his bookbag.  
"Okay, Yuki, what do have in there? A dictionary?" Shigure asked, rubbing his sore head.  
"TWO of them," Yuki responded, a small smile on his lips. "Honda-san, I'm sorry for not being able to walk home with you, today. The meeting was quite unexpected."  
"That's okay, Yuki-kun," Tohru replied, a happy smile on her face. "Kyo-kun walked with me."  
"The baka neko walked home in the rain, without an umbrella? I'm surprised he isn't cursing the gods right now."  
It was true. Kyo had sauntered off to his room the moment Yuki had walked through the door. He was far too tired from the onslaught of rain and fighting with Shigure to deal with Yuki.  
"Honda-san," Yuki said, his voice light and gentle. "Would you like me to help with dinner, tonight? To make up for not walking you home?"  
Tohru shook her head. "Ah, no, it's quite alright! I'll just go ahead and get changed, then I'll have dinner ready in a little bit."  
Yuki shrugged. "Alright, Honda-san. After dinner, though, would you care to join me at my secret base? It looks like the rain was just a minor autumn shower, and that it will be over soon."  
Right enough, the rain was beginning to let up, and the clouds were parting to show a watercolor of oranges and pink in the evening sky. Tohru nodded happily.  
"Okay!"  
Yuki smiled and leaned in closer to her.  
"Wonderful. There's something very important I would like to share with you."  
Tohru looked a bit dazed, but Yuki continued to smile and pulled away, heading towards the stairs.  
"I'll be in my room," he called over his shoulder as he made his way to the bedroom.

Yuki tossed his books on top of the mahogany desk that stood in the corner and flopped down onto his bed. His dark, silver-colored hair fanned out on the sky-blue pillows, and he stared longingly up at the ceiling, recalling an absolutely delicious dream he had the night before.

FLASHBACK

Tohru looked up, tossing back her long, sandy brown hair and glancing around with chocolate eyes. She looked straight into the eyes of the man who had been spying on her from his place behind the rack of all natural white-cheese Cheetos.  
Grapes. This was the thought that struck Tohru now. She selected carefully. Firm fruit in a tight bunch. Strawberries. Fat, plump ones with the stems still attached. A kiwi fruit, its skin ruptured by her nails, the juices running over the delicate hands that held them.  
She hiked up her short, black skirt, revealing that she was without underwear, and leaned back against the shelf. Opening her legs wide, tracing little circles in her clitoris with one hand, she pushed the fruits up herself with the other, a little at a time, pulling back a bit before each new thrust. The stems and leaves scratched and tickled, and she liked that.  
She looked back at the man. A smile played on her candy pink lips. Of course, she knew he was there. Smirking, she extracted a single. Dripping grape and offered it to him. Yuki stood frozen as a TV dinner. She shrugged. Puckering her lips, she ingested the grape with a great slurping sound and then pulled out the rest. She licked each one clean before pulling it away from the bunch, rolling it on her tongue, and then swallowing.  
Yuki gulped, and began to walk towards her. He dropped to his knees in front of her.  
Tohru looked down at him, her eyes dark with wanting. In one fluid movement, she reached out and grabbed him by his hair, dragging his mouth up to her pussy. He inhaled sharply.  
"Eat me," she commanded.  
"No! No, I won't! And you can't make me! I'm a good boy!" Yuki whined, trying so desperately not to give in to his desires and ravage her with his hands, his teeth, his pulsating cock…  
"Eat me, you naughty boy," Tohru contradicted. "Naughty as Heavenly Chocolate Cake, naughty as takoyaki on a bed of udon noodles with onigiri."  
At the mention of onigiri, Yuki gave in. "All right," he whispered, his mouth millimeters away from her swollen sex. "All right, then. I will eat you. I will. You will be my pate, my calamari, my ichigo cheesecake, my…"  
"Oh, just shut up and eat me!"  
He ate herm then. He ate her like a man who was starving. He ate every last drop of grape and strawberry and kiwi. He ate her until her body spasmed with pleasure, a shudder sweeping over every inch of her as she called out his name to the high ceilings, her voice resounding off the cold, tile floors of the supermarket.  
"YUKI!"  
He grinned wickedly, and stood. He pulled down his trousers, revealing a massive erection. Down went the black boxers, and Tohru's breath caught in her throat.  
His cock stood, at full attention, pre-cum glistening at its tip.  
"Bend down," he commanded.  
Tohru simply continued to stare at him.  
Yuki grabbed her arms and spun her around so that her ass was facing him. He placed her hands on the edge of the shelf so that she wouldn't loose her balance.  
"Hold on tight," he whispered, right before plunging into her.  
Tohru screamed, and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. Yuki continued to slam into her, ecstasy flowing through his entire body as Tohru shuddered and moaned beneath him.  
Suddenly, his feelings intensified, and he felt a shudder run through his body. He groaned, her name sliding between his lips as he came inside her, his hot seed sending yet another wave of pleasure through Tohru. The two of them orgasmed together for what seemed like an eternity; then Yuki pulled himself out of Tohru and turned her so that he could lay the lightest of kisses along her rosy lips.

END FLASHBACK

Yuki grinned into the arm he had draped over his face. What a lovely dream, the rat thought. I wonder if Honda-san could ever really be like that with me?  
Over the years, Yuki had grown very fond of Tohru, but he still called her Honda-san out of respect, and for fear that the others would tease him. Especially Shigure. Tonight, though, things would change. He had given it a lot of thought, and he was sure that he loved Tohru. Graduation was coming soon, and he wanted to make sure she had someone to lean on when that cat was locked away for good. It would be better for her, this way, too. Tohru wouldn't have to suffer as much if he were there. Kyo…just the thought of that cat made Yuki cringe with disgust. There was no way that Kyo would beat Yuki to her.  
No, Yuki would beat that cat once again, by claiming the only thing left to claim.  
He would confess his love for Tohru at the secret base after dinner.

**A/N: Sorry if I made Yuki a bit OOC there. .u.u GOMEN NASAI! Please review!**

**Love always,**  
**Tsukishiro Ayame**


	4. A Bellicose Cat and The Rat's Feelings

**A/N: Okay…I think I will resist putting a lemon in this chapter. Maybe. I haven't really decided yet. .' Hehe…  
DISCLAIMER: If I owned Fruits Basket, I would know the ending of the series, now, wouldn't I?  
CAUTION: Potential lemon and/or yaoi.**

**Chapter 4: A Bellicose Cat and the Rat's Feelings**

The Sohmas and Tohru sat down for a wonderful dinner of…  
"LIVER AND LEEKS! I HATE LEEKS!"  
Kyo's voice could be heard for miles beyond the boundaries of Sohma Shigure's humble home.  
"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Tohru was apologizing. Clearly, she had forgotten the last time she made liver and leeks for dinner. At that time, Yuki had just about killed Kyo, trying to force the heterogeneous mix down his throat, before Kagura had come bursting through the door.  
Tohru scrambled to her feet and dashed to the kitchen, calling over her shoulder,  
"I'm sorry, Kyo-kun! I'll make you some soup right away!"  
Yuki sighed. That stupid cat is always causing trouble for Tohru. Why does he have to be so picky?  
Shigure laughed and knocked Kyo on the head, lightly. "Aw, Kyon-kichi, why are you causing so much trouble for poor Torhu-kun, eh?"  
"Since when did you start calling me that! It's bad enough when Ayame does it!"  
Kyo was furious, and started batting at the dog's hand, which still rested atop his head.  
"Ah, Kyo-kun, here's your soup."  
Tohru made her way back into the dining room, a steamy bowl of miso soup in her hands, the spoon clattering against the side of the ceramic bowl.  
"A-arigatou," Kyo muttered, his face heating slightly. She didn't really have to…Grrr, why do I have to be so picky?  
Tohru simply smiled at him and shook her head. "It's all right, Kyo-kun. I'm just glad you didn't run off and go without dinner again."

The rest of the meal passed by with a relative smoothness. Of course, there was the occasional outburst from Kyo as Yuki made degrading comments or as Shigure made some statement that had both the younger Sohmas yelling at the dog, but it was a good meal, with the feeling of being a family, nonetheless.  
After dinner, Kyo volunteered to help with the dishes, his own way of making sure that Tohru knew how appreciative he was of her going out of her way to support his anti-leek eating habits. As Tohru washed, he dried the dishes, stealing glances at her slim form every now and again. It's not that he had never really known she was a girl; that was plain to see. However, he had never actually looked at her before. The cat was suddenly entranced by the sway of her hips, the shimmer of her hair as she moved and it rippled in the fluorescent lights.  
When the dishes were done and the kitchen cleaned, Kyo handed her the drying towel and escaped out onto the roof, where he gazed at the night sky, trying to sort out his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Tohru had gone upstairs to change clothes (once again) and get ready for her meeting with Yuki in the garden. I wonder what Yuki wants to talk about, she thought, hoping it wasn't anything against Kyo. She'd suddenly found that she was actually quite fond of the cat. Especially after he had called her by her name for the first time ever…  
After changing, Tohru went outside and walked to the base, where Yuki was waiting. He was bent over, sitting on a rock, gazing out into the distance as if he were lost in thought. He seemed very solemn.  
"Yuki-kun?"  
Yuki turned ever so slightly, peering at Tohru over his slender shoulders, taking in the sight of her within a cute yellow sweater and matching gypsy skirt. The light green shirt accented her eyes just right.  
"Ah, Honda-san. Please, have a seat," he said, stately, indicating the unoccupied half of his rock. Tohru perched precariously upon the smooth surface of the rock, and looked out at the mini-strawberry field. They were just little green plants, now, surrounded by a wall of leeks on one side, and a row of soldier-like carrots on the other. Lettuce sprouted along the edges of the plot.  
Tohru smiled, remembering the first day she had come out to the secret base. It had been raining, and she had protected the tiny vegetables, alongside Yuki, in the pelting rain. They were soaking wet, and Tohru had been so afraid that Yuki would catch cold…It was comical, actually, the way she had nursed over him until Hatori had come over and said that everything would be just fine.

"Honda-san?"  
"Ah! Ah, um, hai!" Tohru blushed. I can't believe I spaced out like that! I'm just an idiot!  
"Honda-san," Yuki said, his eyes latched onto hers, his hands covering her own with a glorious warmth, "I…I…"  
Tohru blushed. Oh, no, her mind began. Please, please don't tell me what I think you're about to say.  
Yuki's face was barely visible through the hanging silver hair, and what little bit one could see, what with his head bent over the way it was, was completely red.  
"Honda-san…I..I love you."  
Tohru sat, shocked. Tears threatened to spill over the edges of her eyes as she struggled to find something, anything, to say. She couldn't possibly admit her feelings, could she? What about Kyo? And Shigure? And Haru and Momiji and all the others? How would they react? And most of all, how would Akito take the news of her confession of love to one of the Sohmas?  
"Yuki-kun, I…"  
"What. In. The. Hell. Just. Happened?"  
Both Tohru and Yuki's heads snapped to the side. Simultaneously, their eyes grew wide, and their faces flushed. Kyo was standing a little ways away, twitching with anger.  
"Did you just tell her that you loved her?" he demanded of Yuki, his hands balling into fists at his sides and a slight growl beginning in the depths of his throat.  
Yuki released Tohru's hands and stood, fighting the heat that had flowed into his face.  
"What of it, baka neko? It's not as if you would have ever beat me to her anyway. There is no way that the cat can ever beat the rat. Ever. Don't you understand that yet?"  
"Why you…" Kyo prepared to launch himself at the arrogant rat, his body set on a hair trigger.  
"Matte, kudasai!"  
It seemed that Tohru-kun had finally found her voice.  
"Please," she whimpered, her voice choked with tears. "Please, don't fight. I…I have something to tell the both of you."

**A/N: Okay, I know that was a very crappy ending to this chapter. However, I am having a bit of a (cough) problem…with my boyfriend and the progression of our relationship, so…my creative flow is pretty much shot. Gomen nasai. .u.u I promise that the next chapter will be much better. Please leave me any creative criticism you feel is necessary. And don't forget to review! Wait, that was kind of redundant, wasn't it. Anyway…**

**Until next time,  
Tsukishiro Ayame**


	5. In The Blink of An Eye

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fruits Basket. If I did, I wouldn't be worrying about where I'm going to get the money to pay for prom tickets.  
****CAUTION: May contain lemons, yaoi, or cottonseed oil.  
****A/N: I would like to take this moment to thank all of you readers for your wonderful reviews, especially kagome1614 and Amayou. Thank you so much:cries: I'm so happy…**

**CHAPTER 5: In The Blink of An Eye**

All that glitters,  
Even the stars…  
All things precious,  
Even your life…  
The King of Bandits can steal it all  
In the blink of an eye.  
_-King of Bandits: Jing_

Honda Tohru was on her knees in Sohma Yuki's vegetable garden, as he and his cousin, Kyo, stood, their fists raised and legs cocked back like vipers, ready to strike. Both had their eyes locked on the brunette teenager that had just stolen their attention.  
"Please," the girl had cried. "Please, don't fight. I…I have something to tell the both of you."  
Now all was still, save for the heaving of chests as the boys drew breath and Tohru sobbed into the cold earth. Yuki's face was still flushed; he was waiting for his Tohru to tell that stupid cat that she belonged to him, that her love was for the rat of the Zodiac, and thus prove, once and for all, that the cat had no place in among normal people. Yuki laughed to himself. To him, the cat didn't have a place anywhere. Not in society, not in the Zodiac, and, most definitely, not in his precious Tohru-chan's heart.  
Tohru had not stopped crying. She hadn't said anything. She simply remained there, kneeling in the dirt, her tears giving moisture to the freshly tilled soil beneath her fingers. However, the silence was so thick that one couldn't cut it with the sharpest sword, and that type of aura did not fare well with the impatient cat of the Zodiac.  
"Well," Kyo snarled. "What is it you've got to say that's so important I can't kill this damned rat, right here, right now?"  
"Like you could. If I've told you once, baka neko, I've told you a thousand times. There is no way the cat can ever beat the rat."  
"SHUT THE HELL UP, KUSO NEZU—"  
Kyo's outburst was abruptly cut short as a silvery long-haired somebody went rushing past him, barreling straight towards a very startled Yuki.  
"Little brother!" Sohma Ayame cried. "How good it is to see you again! You must have missed me terribly, having been away so long. How are you, how are you? Never fear! The wonderful Sohma Ayame, your one and only Onii-chan is h—"  
A loud WHACK across Ayame's head signified the end of yet another moment of 'brotherly bonding' as a disgruntled Yuki turned on his heel and headed back towards the house, completely ignoring the fact that Tohru had yet to speak.  
The corner of Kyo's mouth was twitching, and a tic had appeared on his forehead.  
"You idiot," he hissed at the snake, who just happened to have tears streaming down his face. "I'm not surprised he hit you. Why the hell do you even keep showing up here?"  
Ayame's tears seemed to instantaneously disappear.  
"Why, my dear Kyon-kichi, isn't it obvious?" he yelled, his arms flailing about dramatically as if he were upon the stage. "I come to check upon the princess, locked away with a hooligan like you, as well as to check up on my younger brother, whom I love more than life itself!"  
Kyo snorted, and opened his mouth as if to say something, but was interrupted by yet another voice.  
"Stop lying," Sohma Hatori grumbled, a cigarette dangling precariously from his lips as he spoke. "The only reason you had me drive you way out here was to pester Yuki and see what Shigure was up to."  
"Ah, Ha'ri, you take the fun out of everything," Ayame sniffled, pretending to be hurt.  
"Well, if that's the case, we can go back the main house right now," the dragon retorted, his face still and impassive.  
Ayame waved his hands about in the air and, telling Hatori that going home immediately would be an unnecessary venture, ran like the wind for the house, yelling all the way:  
"GURE-SAN! OH, MY GURE-SAN! YOUR PRECIOUS AYA IS HERE TO SEE YOU!"  
Hatori shook his head dejectedly. "Why, Kami-sama, am I the only sane one?" he asked, aiming his inquiry to the unreachable heavens. Still puffing away on his cigarette, he too, headed toward Shigure's house, though undoubtedly which much less fanfare than the outgoing snake.  
Thinking that he was finally alone with Tohru, Kyo turned to her, a question burning in his mind. He wanted to wipe away all her tears, to comfort her, do anything that would get her to stop crying. Kyo couldn't handle it when girls cried. It set off something deep inside of him, some feeling that it was his duty to make them feel better about their situation.  
"Hey," he started, hoping that he could find something worthwhile to say. "Stop crying, will you? I can't…I can't stand seeing you cry. It…hurts…me, too."  
Tohru looked up at the orange-haired boy she so adored, and brought her hands up to wipe away the tears. She did everything she could to steady her breathing and, feeling in control again, managed to give Kyo a small smile, saying "Thank you, Kyo-kun."  
Kyo looked a bit startled. Why was she thanking him? Wasn't it partly his fault that she had started crying in the first place? He opened his mouth to say something, but, once again, was interrupted, this time by a young blonde running past him, shouting "Tohruu, Tohruu!"  
"Momiji-kun!" Tohru cried, very pleased to see the energetic rabbit. Sohma Momiji went no place without a pocketful of sweets, and his trademark was proven, per usual, as he fished in his jacket, producing a variety of lollipops and taffies, offering a couple to Tohru.  
"Tohru, Tohru, how are you, how are you? I came to see you!" Momiji cried, bouncing up and down with glee. It had been nearly a week since the half-German half-Japanese youngster had last seen Tohru, and he was even more hyper than usual at being able to visit one of his favorite people in all of Japan.  
"I'm fine, Momiji-kun," Tohru said. "I'm very happy to see you. It's been so long!"  
Momiji grinned. "Yup! But I have a question for Tohru! What day is tomorrow?"  
Tohru thought for a moment, her hand upon her chin and her brown eyes turned heaven-ward. Her head was cocked to the side, ever so slightly, giving her the appearance of one pondering a mystery of the universe.  
"Hmm," she said at long last. "I do believe that tomorrow is….March 15th."  
"Ping-pong!" Momiji cried, happy that Tohru had entertained his question. "It's a day late, but for Tohru's White Day present, I'm take her to the onsen! Just like we did last year!" The little rabbit clapped his hands together and hopped around, his silky blonde hair flapping like the tiny wings of a baby chick.  
WHITE DAY? Kyo's mind was reeling. Damn! How did I forget about that? Here I am, arguing with that damned rat about telling her how he feels, and it's WHITE DAY? No wonder he told her. That must have been his gift for the Valentine's chocolate she got us…Crap! He looked around, frantically. What could he possibly give Tohru for White Day? Yuki had remembered, and given her what he thought would be best: his love. But, if Tohru accepted Yuki, what was there left for the poor cat to give?  
In the blink of an eye, Kyo found himself in a very interesting predicament.

**A/N: I'm sorry that this one is a bit short; I'm kind of suffering from writer's block at the moment, and ideas are getting hard to come by. Hmm…I wonder what Kyo is going to find to give Tohru for White Day? Keep reading to find out! Oh! And please review! It's great to hear that my story is good, but criticism is also appreciated!**

**Wo Ai Ni, (Yes, I know that's Chinese.)  
Tsukishiro Ayame**


	6. A Hot Springs Afternoon

**A/N: Konyanyachiwa, minna-san! O-genki desu ka? Ready for some more of my craptacular Furuba fic? Well, here goes!  
DISCLAIMER: It's not mine, I tell you!  
WARNING: This chapter contains the following ingredients: profanity, anger, violence, and (possibly) lemons, limes, and/or other sexual content.**

**CHAPTER 6: A Hot Springs Afternoon**

Kyo was still mentally beating himself up at 3 o'clock in the morning. He was up on the roof, staring at the sky and trying to figure out what would be decent enough for Tohru's White Day present. It had to be spectacular, since it was going to be given a day late. Plus, it had to be just enough to put the love of that damned rat to complete and utter shame…  
Kyo rolled over onto his side and let out a low moan. Why, he wondered. Why does that damned rat always have to be better than me? Still at a complete loss as to what he could possibly give Tohru in return for her chocolates, Kyo allowed himself a rare moment of self-pity and began to cry.

Tohru was also wide-awake, looking through, rather than at, the ceiling in her bedroom. Momiji lay to her right; fast asleep beneath the big, pink, frilly monstrosity of a comforter that Shigure had bought for Tohru, not to mention the gargantuan bed they were on.  
Tohru remained in her reverie, nonplussed by Momiji's light snoring, punctuated by the occasional giggle.  
"What am I going to do," she mumbled softly, speaking mainly to herself. "I can't tell Yuki that I accept his love, because that would mean hurting Kyo and perhaps all the others." Tohru suddenly recalled what Momiji had told her about Hatori being almost blind in his left eye.

FLASHBACK

"About Ha'ri," the rabbit had said, serious for a change. "…He's almost blind in his left eye."  
"..Eh?"  
"Ha'ri used to have a girlfriend. Her name was Kana. She was his assistant. She was a very sweet person. Even when she found out he was possessed by a vengeful spirit, she laughed and said she didn't care," Momiji continued. "They were engaged to be married. But…Akito got mad. He got really mad and went into a rage. He wouldn't allow their marriage. And he hurt Ha'ri's eye." Momiji's voice began to crack.  
"But," he said, his voice stained with tears, "Ha'ri didn't…blame Akito. Instead, Kana blamed herself. She kept agonizing, saying it was her fault Ha'ri's eye got hurt. Eventually, she got heartsick. So…" It was here that Tohru had noticed the tears running down her own face. She didn't really want to know what had happened; it was too sad. But Momiji kept on.  
"So…Ha'ri erased Kana's memories."

END FLASHBACK

Tohru realized that there really were tears on her face. They were running down her cheeks, silently soaking the fluffy pillow beneath her head. She would give anything to have all the Sohmas, even Akito, be happy and in perfect health. But she knew that nothing she did now could bring back Hatori's happiness, or his eyesight. However, there was something she could do to ensure the rest of the Sohmas found their happiness.  
And she could start by never admitting her feelings to the one she loved the most.

The next morning, clouds scudded across the otherwise perfectly blue sky, on a morning beatific with its Indian summer breeze, and Momiji had awoken bright and early, bringing the rest of the house to consciousness with a great deal of shouting and laughter.  
"SHUT UP AND LET ME SLEEP!" a very sleep-deprived Kyo had yelled, stomping down the stairs in hot pursuit of the hyperactive Momiji, fists raised and orange hair sticking up in all directions.  
"You…you…that is …gah."  
Kyo's hair stood straight up on end, and a pair of bright orange ears had sprouted from the top of his head. It seemed that Yuki wasn't a morning person at all, what with having come out of his bedroom with the intention of pummeling Kyo, only to have fallen right back to sleep with his head resting upon the cat's shoulder.  
"Yuki-kun isn't a morning person, is he?" Tohru asked, having finally made her entrance into the realm of downstairs, her trademark bubbleheadedness showing right through.  
"WAKE UP, DAMMIT!"  
Kyo snapped at Yuki, pointlessly, and then hauled the rat back upstairs and tossed him into his bed.  
"I'm impressed, Kyo-kun," Tohru said, her hands already busy preparing pancakes and a clear soup. "Even though you wanted to hit him, you wouldn't attack Yuki-kun in his sleep!"  
"That's not quite it," the cat responded, taking a large swig of milk straight from the carton. "He's even stronger when he's sleeping. And that means he's always going easy on me! He's thick-skinned and cold-hearted. He doesn't even have to try! I HATE THAT DAMN RA--"  
Yuki had finally fully awoken, and had come downstairs to hear Kyo ranting about him, once again, and decided that the best choice would be to shut him up. Nicely, of course, with a gentle roundhouse, just enough to send the cat sailing through the paper door and into the entrance hall.  
"HEY!" Kyo shouted, angry that the rat had bested him again. "WEREN'T YOU ASLEEP!"  
"Your stupid voice woke me up."  
"Fine, dammit, see if I care! But I'm taking you down one of these days, you hear me? I WON'T STOP UNTIL I DEFEAT YOU!"  
Yuki had turned his back on Kyo during this little exchange, and looked, uninterestedly, over his shoulder.  
"What are you babbling about this early in the morning?"  
Kyo looked murderous. He was setting himself up to spring onto Yuki's back and beat the living hell out of him when...  
"Tohhhruuuu-chan! It's almost time to go! Don't you want to feed me, your highness?"  
Ayame had made his grand appearance, sleep still evident in his blazing green eyes and in the rumpled state of his mostly white kimono.  
"Ah, Onii-chan," Yuki asked, confusion written all over his face. "What happened to your kimono? You have some kind of thick…liquid…on you."  
Ayame laughed airily as Shigure came in and said, "Don't worry about that, Yuki. I'm sure we'll be able to teach you everything you need to know when you a bit older."  
"You...you mean that…" Yuki's eyes widened with realization, and Kyo blanched.  
"Ah, yes, my dear little brother," Ayame exclaimed. "Why, Gure-san and I had a night filled with passion and romance! It was quite unlike any other. Especially when he had me on my back, and…"  
"Now, now, Aya," Shigure interrupted. "Not in front of the children."  
"Would you two knock it off? Stop messing with their minds; they're fragile enough as it is." Hatori had come onto the scene, his ever-present cigarette dangling. "And Ayame, please, stay out of my supplies. The antibacterial soap is very unbecoming."  
Ayame laughed and sat down at the dining room table. "I will, Ha'ri, once I've eaten and we're all ready to go."  
"Oh, are you going to the onsen with us too?" Tohru asked.  
Ayame opened his mouth to say something, but Hatori cut him off. "No, Ayame and I must return to the main house. I got a call this morning saying that Akito has fallen ill again."  
Tohru looked sad for a moment, but Momiji caused her to smile again, saying that they would still have plenty of fun at the onsen, even if it was just going to be the two of them, accompanied by Yuki and Kyo.  
"SINCE WHEN DID I AGREE TO GO ANYWHERE WITH YOU?" Kyo demanded, giving the blonde a killer noogie.  
"Ah, but Kyo, Tohru wants you to go, too!" Momiji cried, hoping it would get the cat to let go of him. "Don't you, Tohru?"  
"Of course! I would love for you to come with us, Kyo-kun."  
Kyo let go of Momiji and visibly colored. "F-Fine then," he said gruffly. "But I'm not sharing a room with Yuki again, you hear? It's been me and that damned rat sharing a room at the onsen for the past 3 years now, and I can't do it anymore!"  
"That's okay, Kyo!" Momiji piped. "We're all going to have our very own rooms this year! The lady said so!"  
"Good."  
Now that all the details of the onsen trip were settled, the visiting Sohmas, Yuki, Shigure, Kyo, and Tohru all sat down to eat breakfast.

When the dishes were done and clothes were packed, Yuki, Momiji, Kyo, and Tohru all piled into a van that was waiting outside in the driveway. The driver was a Sohma as well, but one who lived outside and didn't carry the curse of the Zodiac.  
The ride to onsen was fairly smooth; there was only the occasional outburst from Kyo as Momiji kept bouncing from one side of the vehicle to the other.

Once they arrived at the springs, the remainder of the day went along without anyone fighting. Yuki had holed up in his room, trying to avoid Tohru without making it too obvious that he was actually afraid of her giving him an answer; Kyo was basking on a rock, enjoying the steam that rose from the water without him having to get wet; and Momiji was swimming about as Tohru sat in the water, reveling in the tranquility as she sorted out her thoughts.  
She was enjoying herself so much, in fact, that she didn't realize someone was standing right above her, until he'd thumped her on the forehead with his silver adorned finger.  
"Honda-san."  
Tohru blinked, and looked up into a pair of charcoal colored eyes.  
"Ha-Hatsuharu-san!" she cried, her eyes wide with shock. "Erm…When did you get here?"  
"I've been here for about an hour now," the cow replied. "Is Kyo around?"  
"Hai. He's over there, I think," Tohru said, pointing to a cluster of rocks that were barely visible through the steam.  
"Arigatou."  
Haru then bounded away, his heavy coat flapping behind him, as he made his way over to the unsuspecting Kyo.  
I wonder how come he isn't hot, Tohru pondered vaguely, watching Haru run. Putting the thought aside, though, she slipped her shoulders back underwater and began to daydream.

"Yo, Kyo."  
Kyo looked up to see Hatsuharu staring down at him, his mop of brilliantly white hair glimmering in the afternoon sunlight, earrings letting of a myriad of color.  
"Nan desu ka?" he asked lazily. Kyo wasn't really in any mood to start a fight. The steam had him completely relaxed, and the sun didn't help much, either. It was a rare moment in the cat's life.  
"Do you mind if we continue that fight we never finished? You know, the one we had back in your first year of high school?"  
Kyo looked at the cow, incredulous that he would ask something like that, two years later, on a day that he was actually content with his lot in life.  
"What?"  
Haru repeated himself. "I wanted to know if you minded continuing the fight we never got to finish back when you were still a first year student."  
"Why the hell would I want to do that," the cat muttered, rolling over onto his side. "It's not like it matters, anyway. I woulda kicked your ass, so just be happy."  
Kyo had picked the wrong thing to say.  
"Like you could, you pathetic little kitten! You're just too scared to fight me, always getting beat by that rat! You think you can get out of this fight, but oh, no. I'm not going to let you run away with your tail between your legs this time!"  
Black Haru had awoken.  
Kyo went rigid for a second and then spun around to face the deranged bovine.  
"What…what are you---ARGH!"  
Hatsuharu was showing Kyo no mercy. He flung his coat off to the side, where it landed safely atop a dry rock, and swung a steel-toe booted foot at the startled cat's head; the perfect follow up to his punch. Kyo ducked quickly, though, the boot just grazing the tip of his orange hair as he aimed a well-timed uppercut to his opponent's jaw. This movement was followed by a flurry of fists and feet from both members, their shouts resonating throughout the entire onsen, causing Tohru to snap out of her stupor and Yuki to peer out his window and the activity below. Momiji simply continued to swim, singing happy songs about the birds and lollipops, used to the stupidity of his cousins.  
Tohru had just clambered out of her spring, and was getting ready to intervene when a spinning back-kick from Kyo sent Hatsuharu soaring. He landed, legs splayed, at the water's edge.  
Shaking his head, Haru stood and bowed towards Kyo before gathering his belongings and heading off to find his bike.  
"Ah, Hatsuharu-san," Tohru began.  
"It's all right, Honda-san," the cow said, a small smile on his face. "I just came by to see Kyo. Akito expects me to be home by sundown."  
Without further ado, Hatsuharu left, leaving a stunned Tohru and a panting Kyo behind.  
"That damn cow," the cat spat. "He always does that. Starts off being normal, challenges me to a fight and turns Black, then goes back to being White when no one expects it. Damn cow…"  
Tohru laughed, then, and asked Kyo and Momiji if they thought it best to go inside for lunch.  
Momiji, of course, happily consented, as did Kyo (though not quite as energetically), and the trio headed inside, Yuki watching them from his window all the while.  
The way she smiles at him, Yuki thought, referring to the way that Tohru was smiling at Kyo, it makes me think that there is some possibility that she might not love me. That perhaps, the cat may be able to beat the rat at something. However, that will all be decided tonight, when I ask her for a response at the evening bath, right in front of Kyo.  
Yuki was unusually bitter about Tohru's relationship with Kyo. It wasn't a romantic one, at least not to anyone's knowledge, but Yuki disliked it all the same. He didn't want her smiling at the accursed cat, the lone member of the Zodiac who possessed two forms. The one of his spirit, and that hideous creature…Smiling to himself and fingering the small box in his pocket, Yuki made his way downstairs to join the other's for lunch, anticipating the expression on Tohru's face when he presented her with his official White Day gift.

**A/N: And that's the end of yet another chapter! Don't forget to review! Chapter 7 will be up a.s.a.p.!**

**Best Wishes,  
Tsukishiro Ayame**


	7. A Gift From The Heart

**DISCLAIMER: Fruits Basket was published by TokyoPop and created by Natsuki Takaya. It is, therefore, in no part under my ownership. However, I do have a dog named Yuki, which is kind of weird…  
****ALLERGY WARNING: This fanfic may contain traces of lemons, limes, and some dairy products. **

**Chapter 7: A Gift from the Heart**

Honda Tohru and her companions; the Sohmas Kyo, Momiji, and Yuki; were all sitting down to lunch at the onsen where Sohma Ritsu's mother was once again playing hostess for the young visitors.

With a mouth full of katsura takoyaki, Momiji was telling Tohru all about his visits with the other Sohmas, who lived near the main house, in the past week. During their conversation, Yuki would comment occasionally, giving Tohru a warm smile whenever she agreed with him, and keeping his mouth shut when she didn't. True to his Zodiac nature, the clever rat was trying to see how Tohru really felt about him, with words and gestures; without blatant inquiries.

Sohma Kyo, however, did not participate in the conversation. He was usually quiet, and hadn't touched a morsel of the food set before him. Strange, indeed, that the cat wouldn't eat, considering that the table was laden with some of his favorite dishes: fried shrimp, salmon onigirii, udon noodles with a spicy orange sauce, sweet bean buns, and a delectable looking roast duck. Instead of partaking in this amazing feast, Kyo stared off into space, wondering about things he couldn't change, the gift he had gotten for Tohru, and those things that he could change, if only he had the courage. His aloofness eventually caused Tohru to pause and look over at her precious friend, chopsticks held up to her rosebud lips, a tiny strip of soba dangling from the red flower-patterned utensils.

"Kyo-kun, daijobu?"

Kyo continued to start off into space, oblivious to everything around him.

Yuki looked at Tohru and sighed. The amount of concern in the girl's eyes told him more than he wanted to know.

Yuki rose from the table and, dragging Momiji along, left the room, giving Tohry time alone with the cat, whom he now resented more than ever.

"Kyo-kun," Tohru tried again, kneeling before the crimson-eyed feline. "Kyo-kun, daijobu desu ka?" She placed her hand on top of his, and gazed into the eyes that had so often burned with a flaming passion. That burning light was now gone, replaced with a dull glaze that Tohru couldn't seem to penetrate.

_Kyo-kun,_ she thought sadly, _what's going on?_ Bowing her head, Tohru began to cry softly, her hand still upon that of the cat. A single tear slid down her cheek, dropping softly onto Kyo's knee with a faint "plip!"

Feeling something moist begin to seep through his pants, Kyo finally brought himself out of his thoughts and back to the real world. Once he refocused his vision, he noticed Tohru, on her knees in front of him, tears streaming heavily down both sides of her adorable face. They were the cause of the dampening on his knees.

"O-oi," Kyo stammered, a blush rising into his cheeks. "What are you crying for?"

Tohru sniffled and looked up at him. "Kyo-kun…you weren't eating, or saying anything, and when I asked if you were all right, I still couldn't get a response out of you!" she cried, brown eyes glistening with tears.

Grabbing Tohru by the shoulders, he pulled her close, not caring that he would transform the moment their torsos touched. All Kyo cared about was holding her, even for that tiny fraction of a moment, just to feel her warmth.

As expected, the moment Tohru came into contact with Kyo's chiseled chest, the "poof" that was really more like a "boom" occurred, and Honda Tohru found herself on the floor, an orange cat draped over her right shoulder.

"Tohru," Kyo mumbled, calling her by name for only the second time since they'd met.

"Hai?"

"I've…I've got something to tell you."

Back in his room, Yuki sat wondering how things would work out. It was almost time for graduation, he knew, and that meant that Kyo would soon be locked away, just as all the other members of the Sohma family who were possessed by the neko monoke in the past. It was part of the Curse of the Cat.

Yuki had wanted to protect Tohru from being hurt by that curse. He truly loved her, and would do anything to ensure her happiness. He was knowledgable of Tohru's never-ending kindness, her wish to see all others happy. But… If Kyo was locked away, and he was the one that Tohru chose…_No, it's no longer "if," but "since," _his mind said, bitterly. So, since Kyo was going to be locked away, and Tohru had chosen him as the one she loved, she was going to be susceptible to a terrible heartbreak. There was only one way for the cat to avoid his fate, and there was no way that could ever happen, even if Yuki had wanted to help his stupid cousin.

The price was too high, and Akito had already forbidden anyone from within the family to offer aid to the shunned cat. Akito hated Kyo with a passion, and the mere thought of the pain he could inflict on one who helped those he despised caused the hairs on Yuki's neck to stand on end.

No, there was nothing the rat could do to protect the one he loved, nor the one that she had chosen to love. He was powerless to see her smile, always.

Sighing heavily, Yuki extracted Tohru's gift from his pocket, and wondered whether it was still worth giving.

Tohru looked at Kyo, holding the lithe creature in her arms, a single tear sliding out of the ruby eyes she so loved to gaze into.

"Kyo-kun," she began, but the cat held up a paw to silence her.

"Tohru," Kyo said, his voice cracked, "please, let me say this first. You know of the fate that awaits me after graduation, don't you? The fate of all the Sohma cats once they finish high school?"

Tohru nodded. Sohma Kazuma, Kyo's surrogate father and dojo master, had told her the story long ago, the night he had slipped the beads off of Kyo's wrist and Tohru had seen the cat's true form.

"Well," Kyo continued, "I don't think there's any way for me to avoid it, now. Yuki's already fallen in love with you, he told you so, and we both know it's impossible for me to beat him in combat…" Kyo was really choked up by now, tears falling like rain from his gleaming eyes. " And…and…"

"Kyo-kun," Tohru interrupted, "It…doesn't matter to me whether you beat Yuki or not. I mean, it does make me very sad to think that you're going to be locked away, demo…demo…"

"Tohru," Kyo said, pulling out of her arms and delving into the pocket of his pants. "Here."

Kyo had pulled a yellow envelope out of the pocket, Tohru's name written upon it in the most elegant calligraphy.

Tohru took the envelope in trembling fingers. She looked up at Kyo, and set the envelope in her lap. "Kyo-kun…"

"Tell me after you've opened your present. I'm sorry it's a day late and all, but…I hope you like it," the cat muttered, sitting on the table and batting at his tail, tears still visible in his eyes. Kyo was trying hard not to cry, not to show how fearful he was of being isolated from the rest of the world. He was terrified of being taken away from the one person he had found whom he truly loved.

Tohru opened the sunshine colored envelope to reveal a single slip of parchment and a glittering necklace. She removed the necklace first, admiring the thin, silver chain and the reflections of light thrown off of the pink-jeweled butterfly which hung from it.

" Hanajima and Uotani told me that you were pink…that time we went to get you a new swimsuit. They'd said that your mom was red, the Red Butterfly, and your dad was white, because he was simple," Kyo explained, staring down at his paws. "So…put them together and we get you: pink Tohru."

Tohru felt the tears well up in her eyes again, but these tears were different. They were tears of genuine happiness.

"Arigatou, Kyo-kun!" she cried. "No one's ever given me such a wonderful present for White Day!"

Kyo smiled, then, a very peculiar expression for a cat to wear, and said softly, "I'm glad you lik it. But there's still something left for me to say."

"Nani?"

"Ai…Ai…" Kyo struggled to tell Tohru his true feelings. "Ai…AISHITERU!"

Tohru's breath caught in her throat, and time seemed to stop. Before she could recover enough to say anything, Kyo ran out of the room, leaving a very confused Tohru behind.

Later that night-

Honda Tohru was back in the water, accompanied only by the Sohmas Yuki and Momiji. Ever since his confession to Tohru, Sohma Kyo had disappeared. He wasn't in his room, and the hot springs lady hadn't seen him, either.

Yuki could tell that something happened between Tohru and Kyo; not because of the cat's absence, but because of Tohru's lack of engagement in any sort of conversation. She had been distant all evening, absentmindedly fingering the silver necklace at her throat. The pink butterfly shone in the dying sunlight, and Yuki wondered, fleetingly, if Kyo had gotten it for her.

As Momiji swam around, Yuki attempted to bring some life back to Tohru, but sliding beside her and placing a light kiss upon her cheek. He received the desired effect.

Tohru snapped out of her reverie and blushed furiously, not knowing how to respond.

Yuki simply smiled and held up a small white box. A green ribbon complimented the gift, and Tohru was taken aback.

"E—eh?"

"For you," Yuki stated simply, smile still in place. "My return gift for the chocolates you gave on Valentine's Day."

Tohru nodded dumbly and took the gift. She removed the ribbon carefully and set it aside. Then she opened the box to find a gold ring. The band was thin with tiny leaves engraved upon it, trimmed with white gold. Its center boasted a princess-cut emerald, its many facets glittering. Tohru looked up at Yuki.

"I can't accept something like this! It must have cost you so much!"

"Ah," Yuki said softly, "it couldn't have cost any more than the necklace you're wearing now." Tohru blinked. "Besides," he continued, "I want you to have it. It would make me very happy."

Tohru then took the ring out of its box and placed it on her finger, admiring the shimmering stone and intricacy of the band's design.

Picking Tohru's hand up in a dainty manner, Yuki kissed the ring and part of the finger on which it rested and asked:

"Do you like it, Princess?"

**A/N: Yatta! I finally finished Chapter 7! Sorry for the delayed update, but Chapter 8 is on its way to make up for lost time! Don't forget to review!**

**Takoyaki and lots of soba,  
****Tsukishiro Ayame**


	8. Violation

**DISCLAIMER: Fruits Basket is, undoubtedly, much better of in the hands of its true owner, Takaya Natsuki-sensei. I'm sure everyone agrees.  
****A/N: For the previous chapter: Sohma Kyo told Honda Tohru "Aishiteru" before running out of the room. For those of you who don't/didn't know, "Aishiteru" is another way to say "I love you" in Japanese. Hope that cleared up any confusion with you wonderful readers. And now…on with the show!**

_**BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND**_

**WARNING: This chapter DOES contain a trace of lemon! You have been forewarned! **

**Chapter 8: Violation**

Drained, Honda Tohru sank down onto the floor. She stared off into the corner at the food, displayed appetizingly on an ebony platter. She'd been in this room for…how long now?

Another hour dragged by. She prowled the room restlessly, seeking some way to escape. There was none.

Angered at her own helplessness, she snatched up the Baccarat goblet and hurled it at the wall. It shattered loudly into a thousand pieces. She hurled the expensive Limages plates after it, then ran to the closet, grabbed the clothes and stomped on them. Then, inspired by rage, she grabbed the bottle of red wine and emptied it over the white bed.

She stared, wild-eyed, at the spreading red stain. She began to scream, thin high-pitched screams of fear and anguish, and helplessness.

Sohma Yuki came running. He looked at the broken dishes, the spilled wine, the ruined bed, all the pretty things he had bought just to please her.

He circled the bed toward her. Tohru took a quick step back, her eyes fixed warily on him. Yuki came closer. Another step and Tohru's back was against the wall. There was nowhere else to go. Yuki was so close she was breathing his Skittles coated breath.

His hands were on her breasts, his body thrusting against hers. Tohru felt him tremble, felt his excitement.

_No,_ her mind screamed. _No no no no…_

Yuki kept on going.

"NO!"

Tohru sat up, shaking, beads of sweat rolling down her face. She was breathing heavily, the dream still vivid in her mind's eye. She looked around at the empty room, the open window, and the springs down below. Once her breathing had calmed, Tohru lay back and drifted off to dreamland once more.

**A/N: Okay, I'm sorry, that was the shortest chapter in the history of the universe, I know, I know. I'M SO SORRY! However, I have something nice in store for you guys in Chapter 9! Stay tuned, and please don't hate me because of this absolutely bogus chappy…  
****Tsukishiro Ayame**


	9. Watashi no Sukinahito The One I Love

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, I'm still apologizing for the absolutely craptacular Chapter 8. Gomen nasai, gomen nasai, gomen nasai. I hope you guys like this one.  
****DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fruits Basket (aka Furuba). It is the creation of Takaya Natsuki-sensei, and I'm just the baka who chose to mess with it. –sweatdrops- He he…  
****WARNING: Ingredients may include lemon, lime, yaoi, and other sexual content, along with mango extract. If you have an allergic reaction to any of these things, please don't blame me, you did it to yourself. **

**Chapter 9: Watashi no Sukinahito – The One I Love**

The next day, Honda Tohru and the Sohmas returned home. Sohma Kyo had been found early that morning, fast asleep on a rock in the middle of the hot springs, and followed Sohma Yuki to the waiting van without much of a fight. Once the group had arrived at the house, Kyo had run up the stairs and into his room, where he remained, missing out on breakfast.

Sohma Hatori had come by to collect Sohma Momiji and take him to the main house, where chores awaited the little beige bunny.

Tohru was doing dishes while staring out the window, the ring she had received from Yuki still upon her finger, and the necklace she had gotten from Kyo about her neck, casting rainbows onto the glasses and appliances, courtesy of the sunlight shining through the open window. The slip of parchment she had extracted from Kyo's envelope rested in the pocket of her apron, its words weighing heavily upon her mind.

FLASHBACK-

Honda Tohru was sitting in her room, fresh from the evening bath, still admiring the beautiful gold ring Yuki had given her, when she caught sight of the envelope she had placed on the windowsill.

With trembling fingers, she took out the slip of parchment, and read the words that were written there:

_This flower blooming so slowly within my heart_

_The blossom in my undeveloped heart_

_Has finally been born with the teardrops of your_

_Nurturing nature_

_Blessing it with your song each morning_

_Helping it grow with the care you bestow_

_You've allowed me to begin to love you_

_You accepted me without a reason_

_Even knowing my hideous secret you stayed beside me_

_The blossom in my undeveloped heart has slowly bloomed_

_My heart has slowly matured_

_I see you now and I see the one I have chosen_

_Watashi no sukinahito_

_The one I love_

END FLASHBACK-

Tohru continued to stare out of the kitchen window, long after the dishes were done, deciding that there was no other choice than to finally tell both Yuki and Kyo the truth about the one she loved the most.

On the other side of the house—

Sohma Kyo had just gotten back from a bout of training in the surrounding woods. He was about to go into the kitchen when he noticed that Sohma Ayame was in Sohma Shigure's study---but not alone. Ayame was reading what Shigure had written on his computer screen. Possibly some of that erotic fiction he was so attached to. Shigure paced, in and out of view, until his reader, without taking eyes off the screen, beckoned to him with a graceful curl of the hand. Shigure stood just behind him, to the right, reading over his shoulder. Because of the peculiarities of the view, while the room and its occupants were perfectly framed, Kyo could only see Shigure from the waist down. He saw Ayame's hand reach out to embrace Shigure's knees, and then glide absentmindedly up and down his legs, as though basting them. Shigure sidled up a bit closer. Kyo could see the other hand of the snake on the mouse, scrolling. Then, much to Kyo's utter repulsion, the hand on Shigure's legs started to travel up the kimono, up the insides of his thighs. The hand moved right up between his legs, and Kyo didn't know exactly what it was doing, but Shigure must have thought it was good, because he appeared to go a bit wobbly at the knees. Then the hand pulled a pair of black silk boxers down his legs. Shigure stepped out of them, then returned to be played with some more. Now, Kyo was definitely not an expert on these things, but it looked as though Ayame's hand went higher and lower in an alternating fashion until Shigure's body seemed to be expressing something on the border between pain and ecstasy. Unable to tear his eyes away, for some unknown reason, Kyo watched that elbow move up and down like a piston. Very interesting indeed.

Throughout this entire sequence of events, Ayame continued to read what was on the screen. Never once did he take his eyes off it, even when Shigure slowly pulled himself out of the snake's hand and licked his fingers, one by one. When Ayame brought his hand to embrace Shigure around the waist, he swiveled around, threw his right leg over, and perched on his cousin's lap, snuggled up, closed his eyes, and began to wriggle around, causing the snake to momentarily pause in his readings.

"Gure-san," Ayame croaked his usually smooth and dramatic voice now an uncharacteristically hoarse whisper. "Please, don't move around like that when I'm supposed to be working. It's very distracting."

"Ah, Aya…but I want to be closer to you. And, after all, I already know what that manuscript says. I wrote it."

"But I didn't."

Kyo was startled by Yuki appearing out of what seemed like nowhere. The rat looked at the petrified cat, and then at the scene unfolding in the study. Color draining from his face, Yuki slowly sank to the floor, and joined Kyo in watching the raunchiest bit of action they had ever seen, aside from that with Tohru, which occurred in their dreams.

After a while, Ayame, still scrolling, still reading, got Shigure to lift his hips up while he removed his own kimono and slipped out of a pair of ivory boxers, only to reveal a thick, stiff, eight- or nine- inch cock. Shigure wove his fingers through Ayame's silver hair, and then slowly slid down the sinuous body until his mouth was positioned just millimeters from the quivering tip. Now, he sucked Ayame, sucked him hard. He sucked him in a vertical fury, as a matter of fact, all the while oblivious to the two teenagers outside the door.

Oddly enough, while Shigure was conducting this bit of a vertical fury on Ayame, Yuki was in a bit of a vertical fury himself, though the poor rat couldn't understand why. He was in love with Tohru, a girl, but found himself strangely intrigued by the two men in the study. Kyo, on the other hand, was trying hard to get his legs to move, to get himself out of that house and as far away from the scene as possible. The whole thing made him sick to his stomach.

Occasionally, Shigure would cease his oral rhythm and drag his tongue along the sides of Ayame's manhood, causing the snake to elicit a quavering note in the midst of some word or another. He was still trying to keep up the pretext of reading, but it had become a bit of a charade by now. Shigure noticed Ayame's light emerald eyes drifting from the screen, and in a muffled, yet still extremely sexy voice, cried out, "Scroll! Scroll! Don't stop!" Kyo and Yuki could see Ayame straining hard to concentrate, one hand still working the scroll button. Shigure glanced behind him at the keyboard. "You're almost there," he gasped. "You're at the climax! Keep going! Don't stop! Just a little more!" Just then, Ayame bucked up so powerfully that Shigure nearly fell over. Ayame's upper body arched back to the floor, where he supported himself with his hands, and his top lip curled over his teeth. "Aaaaargh," he groaned, "ahhhhh." "Pardon?" Shigure asked. "Nonverbal," the snake explained. After about a minute, during which time neither moved, Ayame slowly righted himself and, holding Shigure close to him, with half-closed eyes read for about a minute longer. "The end!" he shouted.

At this, Shigure threw his hands into the air. "The end!"

Yuki blinked; it was as good for him as it was for them.

Kyo, finally regaining use his motor skills, ran off to find an appropriate place to hurl.

Running from the study to the entrance hall, headed for the door so that he could escape into the woods, Sohma Kyo ran right into the person he had least expected to see: Honda Tohru.

She looked at his flushed face, the panic in his eyes, and immediately thought the worst.

"Kyo-kun!" she cried, falling to her knees in front of the skidding cat. "Kyo-kun, are you sick? Do you have a fever?"

Kyo felt even more heat rise into his face, as he stopped and looked at Tohru. "I-Iie..." he replied. "I'm not…sick…or anything." He looked away from her, the face of the one he loved so much it hurt. "I'd better be going, now."

And with that, the cat ran away again, never pausing to think that, perhaps, Tohru had something else to say.

Sohma Yuki had slowly removed himself from the doorway of Sohma Shigure's study, slightly reluctant, but knowing that it would be Hell for him if his two older cousin's caught him spying on their…personal antics.

Shuffling towards his room in an oddly princely manner, Yuki caught sight of what looked like Kyo, running through the entrance hall, and stopping before Tohru, who was on her knees. Tohru had asked Kyo if he was sick, and he, that baka nook, had simply said no and ran off. Yuki shook his head. _Will he ever learn?_

Deciding that there was no time like the present, and that his cousin was far too dense to ever really get anywhere with Tohru, Yuki changed his course and headed for the entrance hall.

"Honda-san?" he said, softly. "Daijobu desu ka?"

Tohru looked up at Yuki and smiled. "Hai, I'm fine." The smile was now replaced with a slight frown. "Demo…I think there's something wrong with Kyo-kun."

"There's always something wrong with the cat, Honda-san. He's too stubborn to know what's best for him," Yuki said, calmly. "And even when he does do something right...he's still too stubborn to see it through."

Tohru was a bit lost as to what Yuki was getting at.

"A-ano…"Tohru stammered.

Yuki smiled then, and sat down beside her. "You know, Honda-san, you never did reply to me when I told you how I felt about you." The rat stared down at the floor as Tohru blushed; many different shades of red flowing across her cheeks.

"Yuki-kun," she began. "I…I do love you, but…I think it's more of a friendly love, like the way I feel about Shigure-san and Hatori-san and Ayame-san and Hatsuharu-san. There is one person I love more than anyone, but…it's not…you."

Yuki sighed sadly. He knew it. Deep in his heart, he had known that Tohru was going to pick someone else.

"I...I understand, Honda-san," he said, then, rising and going to his room. It hurt him, but he would live with the fact that he wasn't Tohru's number one. He accepted it, because he knew that she was being completely honest with him, and that it was hard enough for her to admit that to him. So he threw the girl a gentle smile as he walked up the stairs and told her, "It's quite alright that I'm not the one for you. Just…just make sure you tell him, the one you love, soon, okay? I'm sure…it would…make him very…happy."

Tohru still sat on the floor, looking up at Yuki's retreating back, and began to cry. There were tears of happiness mixed with tears of regret and sadness. Regret that she had to hurt one of her dearest friends, sadness at knowing that she had hurt him, and the happiness from knowing that Yuki would still be her friend, still care for her, and that things would, of course, get better.

Standing up, Tohru made her way to the kitchen so that she could begin to prepare lunch, her mind filled with thoughts about how she could possibly tell the one she loved, the someone just for her, how she truly felt about him.

**A/N: Okay, the ending was a bit lame, I know. Anyway, Hatsuharu appears again Chapter 10, and Tohru may (or may not) make her confession! Don't forget to review! **

**Love always,  
****Tsukishiro Ayame**


	10. Solace

**A/N: Konyanyachiwa, Minna-san! O-genki desu ka? Watashi wa genki desu! Yatta! Chapters 1-9 have received a fairly good amount of reviews, and I'm very grateful to all of you readers who left feedback! A super-huge "Arigatou gosaimasu!" to Amayou, who has given me a wonderful critique, and has also encouraged me to write what I like best: lemons, limes, and yaoi:cries: Thank you oh-so-very much! Now, I promised you lot some Hatsuharu in this chapter, and so it shall be! Enjoy!  
****DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fruits Basket aka Furuba. Takaya Natsuki-sensei does, and I worship the ground she walks on.  
****WARNING! This work of fanfiction is rated M for a purpose. It may contain traces of lemons, limes, yaoi, and/or other sexual content. Proceed with caution.**

**Chapter 10: Solace**

Sohma Yuki trudged up to his room, his heart stinging from being told that he wasn't Honda Tohru's special person. He wanted her to love him, but he had tried to convince the girl, as well as himself, that it was okay if she did not. He would always be her friend, and though his feelings for her may fade, they would never actually disappear completely.

Sighing heavily, he plopped onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering about what would happen to Sohma Kyo, himself, and Tohru, once the time for high school graduation rolled around.

Kyo was sitting at the end of the hill he had run to when Kazuma-shishou had taken off his beads, exposing the cat's true form to Tohru. He buried his face in his hands, tears streaming down his face. _Even people like Ayame and Shigure can find someone to love,_ Kyo's conscience spat. _All they do is be themselves, and they are loved. You, on the other hand…_

"Enough!" Kyo shouted aloud. "Enough…I can't…I wasn't made to interact with people. I can't expect her to love someone like me. We'll never do the things I saw in that dream…I'm cursed…different. No one can ever love the cat. No one…"

And he continued to mentally beat himself, far into the afternoon, the words going around and around in his head like a mantra:

_No one can ever love the cat…No one can ever love the cat…_

Tohru had prepared lunch, but Sohma Shigure and Sohma Ayame were the only ones present, aside from herself. Yuki had kept to himself, locked away in his room, and Kyo was no where to be found. Shigure had told Tohru not to worry, that the cat always ran off, and that he was "probably just off training in the woods again."

However, something told Tohru that wasn't the case, and she headed out to find the cat as soon as the kitchen and dining areas were cleaned. Shigure and Ayame headed back to the study, Ayame tugging on the writer's kimono and whispering something in the dog's ear, making Shigure twitch and quicken his pace, dragging the seemingly-ecstatic snake behind him.

As Tohru made her way out the front door, a slight flapping sound caught her attention, and she turned towards it, wondering what it could possibly be. Moving closer to the source, Tohru found herself face to face with none other than the ox of the Zodiac, Sohma Hatsuharu. He was single-handedly waving his jacket at a black car, which turned out to be Sohma Hatori's, and Sohma Kisa stood beside him.

"Onee-chan!" Kisa cried, catching sight of Tohru. "Onee-chan!"

Tohru smiled and hugged the little girl, happy to see the tiger. "Hatsuharu-san," she said, looking up at him. "Um…Kyo-kun's not here right now. Demo, I was going to look for him, if you want to come."

Hatsuharu looked at Tohru, a bit of puzzlement flitting across his handsome face before stating, "Actually, I was here to see Yuki."

"O—oh," Tohru replied, arms still around Kisa, (who looked a bit confused herself) feeling very dumb indeed.

"Onee-chan?"

"H-hai?" Tohru responded, looking down.

"When…When you come back from finding Kyo…will you watch this with me?" Kisa inquired, holding the two pink and ivory boxes that housed all eight discs of _Card Captor Sakura._ "It's an anime…I heard it was good. And it's popular at school…I borrowed it."

Tohru beamed at the little girl, and smiled. "Of course! Has school gotten better?"

"…Yeah," Kisa said. "I'm doing my best! Mom…And all of you, you're all here…for me. That's why I can do my best…"

It looked as if Tohru was going to pounce on the tiger and give her the biggest hug in history, but Hatsuharu picked Kisa up first, and took her into the house. He called over his shoulder at Tohru, "We'll still be here when you get back. There are a few things I need to talk about with Yuki."

So Tohru headed on down the walkway, aiming for the woods she thought Kyo would be hiding in. Kisa watched her go from her position on Hatsuharu's shoulder, a small smile on her face.

Yuki was still lying on his bed when he heard footsteps approaching his door. He knew it wasn't Kyo, since the cat never came up to his room, and Ayame would have made much more noise that his visitor was. So he rolled over, deciding that Shigure could open the door for himself.

"Yuki," Hatsuharu said, opening the door. "How are you?"

Yuki turned to face the cow, his eyes wide. "When did you get here?"

"Not too long ago," Hatsuharu replied, grinning. "I brought Kisa over so that she could spend some time with Tohru." Then his eyes darkened and a bit of a frown replaced the gorgeous smile. "But what are you doing locked up in your room? Aren't you usually outside in the garden?"

Yuki sighed. "I told Tohru how I felt."

"...And?"

"And…I'm not…the one. She doesn't love me…that way."

Hatsuharu moved over to the bed and sat down beside the grey-haired rat, a slight mix of pity and spite churning in his heart.

"Now you know how I felt, all this time," he said softly, letting a little bit of his Black side show through.

Yuki's amethyst eyes fastened onto Hatsuharu's shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that now you know what it's like not to be loved in return! To be let down by the person you chose as your own!" Hatsuharu's voice became ragged with sadness. "I told you I loved you, Yuki. I told you that you were my special person, ever since the day you allowed me to see that I wasn't as foolish as everyone believed me to be. You opened me up to see that I'm not stupid, I'm not slow…You…you cared, and you weren't arrogant like I had been taught to believe." He dropped his head and looked at the floor. "I..I still love you, Yuki. Even after you kept putting me down, even after I tried to move on…I can't. You're the only one…for..me…"

Yuki looked at his bi-color haired cousin, his friend, and smiled sadly. "I'm…Gomen nasai, Haru. I didn't…I didn't realize that I was hurting you so much. I'd always thought that maybe you were kidding around. I never really thought that you were serious about me."

Hatsuharu looked up at Yuki, the violet eyes overcast with sadness, the beautiful white skin which surrounded those eyes. He felt a twinge of pain.

"What exactly happened?"

Yuki was a tad bit confused.

"What exactly happened," Hatsuharu repeated, "when you told her how you felt?"

Yuki looked down at the blue bedspread, and recalled the events of the past two days.

"I'd…I'd rather not go over it again, really. All there is to know is that I confessed, and she…let me down. Kindly, of course, because that's just the way Honda-san is," he said at last.

Hatsuharu nodded, understanding the hurt that Yuki must have been going through.

"I'm always here for you, you know," the cow then said, wrapping his arms around the startled Yuki.

Yuki felt himself tense at first, but then he relaxed into Hatsuharu's warmth. _It's been so long since someone hugged me, _he thought. _It really feels…quite nice._ He laid his head on the cow's shoulder and slowly put his arms around Hatsuharu's waist. Yuki's heart had been hurt, it was true, by being let down, but that didn't mean it couldn't be healed. As he relaxed further into his cousin's warm embrace he thought, just maybe, he would give Hatsuharu a chance. Perhaps this person could prove to be the support he needed, his source of solace in the world around him.

**A/N: Hmm…that was a bit…odd, I know. Anyway, review, review, and I'll continue to write. Thanks again to all of you out there who are my faithful readers. After Chapter 11, though, I think I'll take a bit of a break until I get at least 25 reviews. I would have said I'm not posting Chapter 11 until then, but I'll be nice, since I've already started working on it. Ja ne!**

**This is Tsukishiro Ayame, SIGNING OFF!**


	11. Tears

**A/N: Gomen nasai. To all my wonderful readers out there who are begging me not to take a break…I apologize. I really, really want 25 reviews, just like you guys really, really want me to continue writing this fic. However, I did promise you all Chapter 11 before I took my leave, so I shall fulfill that promise, and here is Chapter 11! ****Oh…yeah…and for this fic, Akito is going to be a guy. I know that there are some who say Akito is a girl, but…until I get to that part in the manga, the gender is male.  
****DISCLAIMER: Nope. Nothing's changed. I still don't own Fruits Basket. However, I DO own a nice little plushie of Kyo's cat form, so I'm happy.  
****WARNING: Lemons. Limes. Yaoi. Watch your step.**

**Chapter 11: Tears**

For the first time in ages, Sohma Hatori was free from work, and felt in need of a bit of adventure.

When he reached Aoyama Gakuin University at ten-thirty in the morning, which was startlingly close to a place he had went shopping with Kana, he asked a few of the students if there was anyplace he could get something to eat nearby. Someone called Syaoran tells him that there is a decent Chinese restaurant not to far, maybe a block or so, and that the food there is pretty good.

The restaurant is pretty empty, not surprising given the time. There is an extraordinarily beautiful woman at the next table. She has the most vivid green eyes and peach-crème skin, with beautiful waist-length hair. But what is most striking is the resemblance she bears to Kana, had Hatori's former girlfriend let her hair grow out. She's wearing one of those classic Chinese dresses, a lovely pale lavender.

Enraptured, Hatori can't keep his eyes off of her. As his eyes travel along her slender form, from face to ankles, he notices the leather case on the floor by her feet. It's moving. Feeling slightly light-headed and a little reckless, he leans across his seat and asks, "What's in the bag?" The woman answers.

"Snakes."

Hatori is a bit shocked, but also completely intrigued. He asks what the snakes are for, and she tells him that she is a street performer, snake-charmer, dancer, martial artist, and contortionist. She doesn't belong to any official organization.

By now, Hatori is absolutely enthralled. Snake-charmer tells him how she has always wanted to travel, and that she is really from Beijing. Once or twice, she tells him in hushed tones, she's snuck across the border to North Korea or Vietnam. Each time, she was caught and sent back. Each time, the Chinese police interrogated her and let her go. Apparently, the Chinese cops think she's a bit of a nut. She doesn't mind.

A waiter arrives and takes Hatori's order. He asks for lo mein and steamed vegetables. The woman smiles and requests Peking duck.

Hatori turns back to her and requests the name "of such a beautiful creature." He must have had quite a bit of sake before he left the main house.

The woman simply smiles and nods toward the approaching waiter. He carries Hatori's meal, as well as the Peking duck.

"That was mighty fast," Hatori comments.

"It's something the chef prides himself at," the waiter replies before walking away.

"I'm Sohma Hatori," the dragon says.

"Mengzhong," the woman replies. "It's normally a boy's name, but my father named me. He's a bit eccentric, himself."

Hatori levers up some of the crisp duck skin, meat, plum sauce, and sliced shallot with his chopsticks, invading the personal aura of the Peking duck. The woman smiles at him, and does the same, dropping the food onto a pancake and folding it briskly. Hatori tries to follow her example, but when he raises it to his lips, a fat lubricated piece of shallot pushes up through the corner and tries to escape. Mengzhong looks amused.

Later on, after the duck is finished and Hatori has completely cleared his place, Mengzhong rises and gathers her snakes into her arms, headed towards the door.

"Wait," Hatori says suddenly. The woman turns.

"Nani?"

"Can…can I see you again, sometime?" Hatori asks, breathlessly.

Mengzhong simply laughs, and asks if Hatori speaks any Chinese. Truthfully, the dragon says no, wondering why she would ask such a thing.

"Mengzhong is my name," the woman said, beaming. "And it means 'In your dreams.'"

A slight knocking at the door awakens Hatori from a deep slumber. He looks around to see that he is still in bed, and that the one knocking is Sohma Momiji. Akito is calling for him, and it is also time for him to check up on the ones who are staying with Sohma Shigure. Sohmas Hatsuharu, Kisa, and Ayame have been away from the main house for over a day now, and Akito wants to know what has been going on. Also, he wants a full report on the relationships that are developing with Sohma Yuki, Honda Tohru, and Sohma Kyo.

Sighing regretfully at the lost dream, Hatori rises and gets dressed, preparing for another day of hard work, remembering the time he spent with Kana, and wondering why he would have a dream about a Chinese girl named Mengzhong.

Sohma Yuki awoke to find himself being spooned by a fairly tall, muscular body. He looked down to see the many silver rings on the wearer's fingers, and exhaled softly. Sohma Hatsuharu had ended up spending the night in Yuki's bed, although nothing had happened between the two. The previous evening had passed with Hatsuharu holding Yuki gently, his arms around the rat's waist, his breathing slow and steady. He was overjoyed at finally being able to hold the one he loved, even if it was just to give comfort.

Yuki had wrapped his arms around Hatsuharu in return, a bit tense at first, but then relaxing into his cousin's warm embrace. He had fallen asleep in that position, and Hatsuharu had gently tucked the rat into bed, then lay down beside him. He stared at Yuki for a while, gazing at the sleeping boy he so adored.

_He's so peaceful when he's sleeping, _Hatsuharu thought._ It's really nice, getting to see him like this._

'_And just think of all the things you could do to him, _a voice in the back of his added. _He's so unsuspecting, so beautiful. You can make him yours…lay claim to him…'_

_Shut up, _Hatsuharu told his Black side. _As tempting as that sounds…I'd much rather it be when he's awake, anyway. That way I can…_

'_Hear all those lovely moans and groans that come out of his mouth?'_

…_Tell him just how much he means to me. _Hatsuharu said, firmly, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Sohma Kyo was up on the roof again, his mind churning as he floundered in his fitful sleep, memories assaulting him through his dreams.

_There was his mother, smiling at him as he ran into her arms…_

_His mother checking for the beads, day after day; telling him that she didn't want anyone else to see his true form…._

_There was Sohma Kazuma-shishou, kneeling down in front of a younger Kyo, offering the now-orphaned cat a home…_

_There were the voices of all the other Sohmas, watching the cat walking hand in hand with the dojo master, whispering amongst themselves: "Is he really going to give him a home?" "The poor man, taking in the cat…"_

_Then there were the times at school, when Kyo was reprimanded for using violence and the sensei informed him that he would be calling Kyo's father…_

"_He's not my father!"...Kyo's voice, shouting._

_Kyo, smiling with Tohru as they walked home from school…_

_The way Tohru had smiled at the cat when he told her that there was also an umeboshi on her back…_

_And then there was the day that Tohru had finally seen the cat's true form…_

_He saw his claws reach out for her face…_

_The face of the one he loved…_

_He watched, in his dreams, as that claw slashed her, as he slashed her, leaving the once-smooth skin with a terrible cut…_

_There was the day Yuki had confessed his feelings to Tohru, and he had walked in on them…_

_There was the time at the onsen, when he offered his White Day gift to Tohru, watching the tears stream down her face; tears that were only there because of him…_

_Finally, there was the time that Kyo had confessed himself, telling Tohru that he loved her, watching as her face colored once again before he had run away…_

As dream-Tohru blushed, a loud crash awoke the cat, who leapt up about a foot in the air. His heart pounded, and he peered over the edge of the roof, down into the windows, and saw Tohru, stumbling about with books in her arms, Shigure carrying some of them himself, and Ayame running about, flailing his arms and trying to gather the fallen books.

Kyo sighed. There was no peace to be found anywhere. He began to sit back when Tohru looked up and, dropping the books, ran to the door. Kyo knew she was coming to see him, and that it would only hurt her feelings if he ran away. But he was still torn between going and staying; between causing Tohru pain and putting up with his own embarrassment. He was panicking, unable to decide which option was the better one, when a car horn blared, causing Kyo to jump (again) and, this time, fall off the roof, landing on his head in a nearby tree.

"Tohruuu! Tohruuu!" Momiji cried, happy to see the sandy-haired girl, as he hopped out of Hatori's car.

Tohru stopped and said hello, getting caught up in conversation with both Momiji and Hatori. It seemed that the dragon was inquiring about the other members of Shigure's household, because, as Tohru gestured, Kyo caught the words "Yuki," "dinner," "…the anime was really good," and "…asleep."

Thinking that now was as good a time as any, Kyo then righted himself in the tree before jumping down and running, disappearing into the surrounding forest, his eyes glistening with tears.

_It's for the best, _his conscience whispered. _If she came up there, all she'd do is tell you that she's sorry, that she can't love you. She'd be nice about it, but you know the truth. You know…_

"…No one can ever love the cat." Kyo finished his thought aloud, running ever faster now, not knowing where he was headed; only knowing that his heart was being torn in two as he left the one he loved, his precious Tohru, far behind.

**A/N: Aaaah…:sniffle: I'm sorry, it's just…I love Kyo so much, and now…now he's hurting, and it hurts me. ;; Well, this has been fun. Gomen nasai. Hope to write for you all again soon!**

**Ciao!  
****Tsukishiro Ayame**


	12. The Price of Happiness

**A/N: Wow…I missed you guys. In fact, I missed you so much that I decided to update again, even though I'm five reviews short of my goal and I had to restart my story. (That, and I missed writing.) Thanks so much for all the reviews and, as always, a special thank-you to Amayou, who has been with me from the very start. I'm honored to write for you. :bows: There are also some others I would like to give a special thank-you to, and those are: kagome1614, strawberrylvr, and armsoftheangels. Thank you all so much for your feedback and support:bows:  
****DISCLAIMER: Mou, why do I have to keep saying this? I don't own Fruits Basket aka Furuba. Takaya Natsuki-sensei does; all I own is a Kyo plushie. My friend Shinji-kun has a cow named Hatsuharu, though…  
****WARNING: The usual lemons, limes, yaoi…vanilla flavoring...That kinda thing.**

**Chapter 12: The Price of Happiness**

"_A person is never happy except at the price of some ignorance."  
__-Anatole France (1844-1924)_

Two days had past since Sohma Kyo had run away from Honda Tohru, fearing that whatever she had to say to him would not involve the words "I love you, too." He had run away with fear, pain, sadness, and hate within his heart. He hated Sohma Yuki for being the first to admit his feelings; hated Sohma Akito for making things so difficult. Most of all, though, Kyo hated himself for being such a coward, for being so different from the rest of the world.

He was lying on his back in the center of Sohma Kazuma-shishou's dojo, his right arm over his eyes as he tried to dispel all the memories that assaulted him. The room was quiet; Kazuma-shishou had left to do some grocery shopping, leaving the cat alone with his thoughts.

Kyo rolled over onto his side and sighed. _I hope Tohru is happy, _he thought. _Maybe I should never have told her how I felt. After all, I am the cat…_

'_And no one can ever love the cat,' _his conscience interjected.

Honda Tohru stared vacantly out the kitchen window, just like the day before, waiting for the tell-tale streak of orange that is Sohma Kyo to appear, like magic, and make all the anxiety and pain that has been building up her heart go away.

The dishes are half-washed, bits and pieces of rice, miso, and fish still stick to the plates while traces of natto and vegetables from clear soups cling to the insides of bowls. The tea kettle whistles, but Tohru doesn't hear it. Sohma Shigure has to come in from his study and take it off the burner, completely unnoticed. He looks over at Tohru, concern evident in the usually playful, mischievous face.

Sohma Yuki notices the tension within the house. It's hard to ignore, what with Tohru being unusually quiet and withdrawn. Sohma Hatsuharu can sense it, too. He has been staying with Yuki, listening to stories about the rat's childhood, learning about the one he chose to love, and learning about Tohru, as well. Even he can see that the only one outside the Sohma family to know the secret of the Zodiac curse is truly suffering.

Everyone stares at Tohru for a while; Shigure in front, Yuki and Hatsuharu behind him. Each one of them has the same expression on his face: it is one of sadness, mixed with pain and longing for a lost treasure. Eventually, Tohru brings herself back to reality, and everything is semi-normal once more.

"Maybe you should go back to Shigure's house," Kazuma-shishou tells Kyo, for maybe the fifth time since he returned from the market. "I'm sure that things are quite different without you."

Kyo looked up at his surrogate-father as if he were mad. "…I'm sure they're all better off without me," he said at last.

_You'll never change, _the dojo master thought, shaking his head with a small smile. _Still stubborn, as always. One of these days, you'll learn._

Kazuma-shishou watched as his 'son' prepared their meal, the rice cooker dinging cheerfully, Kyo's hand upon his hip as he brandished the ladle over a steaming bowl of miso soup.

Kyo stares at the roiling liquid in the pot, his mind in a faraway place; a day that felt as though it were some distant memory, rather than the happenings of a time no farther away than four days into the past.

FLASHBACK-

Tohru dashed out of her room, bowing, and ran to the kitchen so that she could prepare breakfast.  
"Kyo-kun!"  
Kyo turned towards her, his left hand on upon his hip, his right hand stirring a pot of miso soup. The rice cooker dinged cheerfully.  
"Kyo-kun, gomen nasai! I overslept, and, and, ano…"  
He had suddenly appeared before her, and she had looked into his ruby-red eyes, their noses practically rubbing, Tohru's face heating as she recalled her dream from the previous night.  
"Hey…you okay? You're not sick, are you?" Kyo's voice was suddenly very gentle. "If you are, that damned rat will...Blarrrrgh!"  
Tohru blinked as Kyo went flying into the refrigerator door. A couple of magnets 'ping'-ed off his head as he slid down onto the floor.  
"KUSO NEZUMI!"

END FLASHBACK-

Kazuma-shishou noticed the way that Kyo's eyes had become unfocused, and he smiled to himself, thinking that it was about time someone intervened in this little 'matter of the heart.'

"Yes, yes, I'm quite sure. No, you can't tell why. Trust me. Yes. Very well, we'll see you this evening, then. Sayonara."  
Kazuma-shishou hung up the phone and peered around the corner at Kyo, who was fast asleep on the front porch. Kyo had been sleeping an awful lot lately; it was all he did besides train and eat. There was very little conversation from the cat's mouth, and Kazuma-shishou intended to fix that.

Shigure was impatiently waiting for Sohma Hatori to arrive with the car, so that the dragon could escort Yuki, and Hatsuharu to the main house. Shigure and Tohru would ride, as well, but they would be visiting Kazuma-shishou for dinner at his dojo. Tohru had reluctantly agreed, her natural instinct to provide for others combating with the need for someone else to do the cooking, the cleaning, and to take care of her, rather than her taking care of everyone else. Through all her feeble arguments, Shigure had waved his hand at her, telling her not to worry; that everything would be just fine.

Sohma Akito stared out of his window, a cold, cruel smile playing at his lips. The oversized floral kimono was crooked, exposing his pale right shoulder. Everything, it seemed, was going his way. The cat was isolated from his friends; the rat was rejected by the outsider he had chosen to love, and was now finding comfort in another Sohma; and that Honda Tohru girl was unhappy.  
Akito's smile grew. "I knew she wasn't capable of breaking the curse," he told the sparrow upon his finger. "Shigure and the others, they are all fools. The cat is a fool, as well. They spend so much time believing in that girl, they are blind to the way that their time is running short." He adjusted his kimono and walked to middle of the room.  
"Even that moron Hatsuharu's time is beginning to run out," Akito said coldly. "Yuki will, as he always has, belong to me."  
The sparrow that once perched on Akito's slender fingers lay dead upon the floor.

"Are you sure that you'll be alright with him, Honda-san?" Yuki asked, for the umpteenth time since Hatori had brought them to the main house. He was trying to keep everything between Tohru and himself as normal as possible, and that included being very suspicious of leaving her alone with Shigure.  
"Yes, Yuki-kun, I'll be fine," Tohru replied. Her voice was flat and the strained smile only added to the rat's worries.  
"Honda-san," Yuki began again, only to be stopped by a warm hand on his shoulder. Hatsuharu looked down at the rat and shook his head.  
"Don't push her anymore," he whispered. "If she says she'll be okay, just trust her."  
Shigure smiled over at the ox, having heard what was said. _Strange, _the dog thought. _I've never seen him so mature before._ He smiled broadly and waved his hands at Yuki. "Don't worry, Yuki. Hatori is going to be there, so I can't do anything…"  
"That does imply that you were considering it," Hatori interrupted.  
"…in the car," Shigure finished.  
Yuki, Hatsuharu, and even Hatori all froze and looked at Shigure as if he were some demon offspring from another dimension. Tohru just stood there, a miniature sweat-drop appearing on the back of her head.

"Ano…I don't think Shigure-san really meant anything," Tohru mumbled, shuffling her feet nervously and hoping that the day would end soon.

_All I want to do is find Kyo, _she thought.

Kazuma-shishou had an odd spring in his step as he bustled about, making the floors of his dojo gleam and the windows sparkle. The rice cooker dinged as the tea kettle whistled and a gigantic pot of clear soup came to a slow, roiling bowl on the stove. Kazuma wanted everything to be perfect, just for the little onigirii that was coming to visit. He didn't care much about whether Shigure was satisfied with the décor or not; it wasn't really intended for the dog to enjoy, anyway. Kazuma smiled as he added a the finishing touches to the dinner table, and headed off to find his son.

Kyo had awoken not too long before Kazuma had begun his cleaning regime on the dojo, and was practicing his kicking drills in the back room when the sound of an approaching car caught his attention. Kyo momentarily stopped and peered out the window, curiosity getting the best of him. A black car, which he immediately recognized as Hatori's, was slowly turning into the driveway. He briefly pondered the significance of Hatori's arrival, but then wrote it off as a summoning for Kazuma-shishou from Akito, and went right back to training.

Out in the front of the dojo, Kazuma watched as Hatori pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. The dragon then climbed out of the car, looking impeccable in a midnight black suit and crisp white shirt; the ensemble accented by a charcoal black necktie and vest to match. Shigure got out next, looking like…well, Shigure, in his usual kimono. Tohru was the last to clamber out of the car, and clamber she did. The poor girl nearly stumbled, her white skirt catching onto the hinges of the door as the ribbons of her vanilla-crème shirt dangled at her breast.

_She's adorable, today, _Kazuma said to himself. _Now, if I only knew where Kyo had run off to…_

Shigure walked directly up to the dojo master and engaged him in conversation about his plans for the night as Hatori turned to check on Tohru. A giant grease stain had appeared on the part of the skirt that had been caught in the door hinges. While this problem could be easily solved with a bit of warm water and soap, it affected Tohru deeply. Nothing had been going well since Kyo had run away, and ruining her skirt just added to her list of problems. Tears welled up in her eyes, and Hatori bent down on one knee in front of her, hoping to be able to do something about the greasy blotch. As the doctor began to inspect the skirt, rubbing the fabric gently with a bit of gauze and hand sanitizer he pulled out of his jacket pocket, Tohru tried to adjust her weight so that he could get to the spot better without having to be so close to her inner thighs when she lost her balance, and ended up falling against the car, an expression of pain sweeping across her face.

Something that sounded very much like a body landing atop, or against, a metal object caused Kyo to cringe in the middle of a breathing exercise. Sighing at the futility of trying to continue without knowing what the sound was, he rose from his sitting position on the dusty wooden floor and peered out the window for the second time in less than five minutes.

Kyo's jaw dropped and something very akin to rage began to build in his chest. There was Tohru, the same Tohru he had confessed his love to, leaning against Hatori's car in the most gorgeous outfit he had ever seen her wear, with Hatori himself kneeling in front of her! As if the positions weren't enough torment, the expression on Torhu's face- one of pain and, as Kyo saw it, pleasure as Hatori did…whatever it was he was doing with his face against Tohru's abdomen and his hands moving rhythmically near her white-clad thighs.

Kyo's face burned and his heart screamed. '_How could she?_ his conscience asked, half enraged and half betrayed. _How could she show up here, of all places, and do…**that**…with Hatori? And in public, too!'_

Kyo himself was silent, gaping like a fish out of water.

"Owww," Tohru moaned, rubbing her sore back and trying to move. Hatori was still on his knees, rubbing away at the now-faded spot.

"Are you alright?" he asked, not really looking up, but still concerned.

"Hai," Tohru mumbled in response, realizing that the shock of falling had scared her much more than the actual impact had hurt.

"All done."

Hatori stood up and brushed gravel and bits of bark from his slacks before giving Tohru a rare smile.

"Not many people would have used gauze and Purell, but…considering the circumstances, I didn't do too bad, ne?"

Tohru nodded, gladdened by the fact that her skirt was clean again, but her heart still hung with a heavy sadness at not knowing where the cat of the Zodiac had gone. She straightened herself, and her skirt, and walked over to where Kazuma and Shigure stood waiting, their conversation done, with Hatori trailing behind her.

"Are you hungry, Honda-san?" Kazuma asked, smiling beatifically at the sandy-haired girl that had so captured Kyo's heart.

Tohru nodded, and then gasped as Kazuma's large, warm hand took hers and he led her to the dojo entrance, Shigure following them with an idiotic grin and Hatori hoping for a bit of tea and soup before he had to run off and make sure Akito took his evening medications.

Kyo sat down, fuming, and cursed himself for not going someplace Tohru would never find him. There was only one way in and out of the dojo grounds, and that was the same way Tohru had come in.

Getting angrier and angrier by the second, Kyo soon lost all focus on the world around him, and drifted into a red void of his own, oblivious to the sound of approaching footsteps.

Kazuma had led Tohru and the other two members of their party to the makeshift dining room and had poured tea for all before excusing himself to "find out where Tohru's present had disappeared to." In actuality, Kazuma wasn't looking for a present at all, unless you counted another human being as a gift. He was searching, once again, for Kyo, that troublesome son of his. Having looked in all the other rooms of the dojo before Hatori and the others had arrived, Kazuma had narrowed down Kyo's location to one of the three back rooms. And knowing Kyo the way he did, Kazuma was able to tell that Kyo was in the last of the three; it was the roomiest, the airiest, and the only one with a window so that he could practice all night long, with the moon lighting the cat's surroundings.

Coming up to the third room, Kazuma pushed open the door, expecting to see the orange-haired teen doing some sort of movement, but he was greeted by a different sight. Instead of doing a kicking, punching, or breathing exercise, the cat was sitting on the dust-covered floor, directly below the window, rocking back and forth as fury flitted across the handsome face. Kazuma rushed over to Kyo, shaking the boy by his shoulders and trying to bring him back. Kazuma recognized the faraway glaze covering Kyo's eyes, and he was desperate to get Kyo to regain control of his animal spirit.

"Kyo! Kyo!" he shouted, shaking the rocking cat over and over. "Kyo! What's going on?"

Somewhere in the depths of the misty red void of hatred and fury Kyo and the vengeful cat spirit had wrapped themselves in, a voice was heard. It was low and faraway, but Kyo strained to hear it.

"Kyo!" it shouted.

_Who's calling me?_ Kyo wondered, not fully aware of himself. _Who is calling me?_

"Kyo!"

The voice was getting louder and louder, and Kyo was slowly regaining control of himself and the monoke within.

"Shishou?"

Kazuma stopped shaking Kyo and looked into the cat's eyes. He saw the glaze recede and the crimson become prevailent in Kyo's eyes once more.

"Shishou?"

Kazuma wrapped his arms around the boy he had watched grow from a young, angry tyke into a handsome, still angry, teenager.

"I'm right here, Kyo."

"Shishou," Kyo whispered. "Shishou, why do I have to hurt so much? I…I don't want to. It hurt enough when my parents died, and when my mom…when she was afraid of me, but…" At this point, Kyo began to cry, startling Kazuma. He had never, ever seen the cat cry before; Kyo hadn't even cried at his own parents' funeral. As the dojo master held Kyo, trying to comfort the one who he could never truly comfort, he whispered into his son's ear.

"Come with me, Kyo. I don't know why you're hurting now, but please, come with me. I think I know how to stop your pain."

"But why do I have to hurt?"

Kazuma removed himself from the embrace and smiled sadly at Kyo.

"I can't tell you that."

"Why?"

"For one thing," Kazuma said, rising from the floor and pulling Kyo up with him. "I don't know why you're hurting. And for another, not knowing why things are is the price we have to pay for our happiness."

The two finally headed out of the room and towards the makeshift dining area, Kyo wiping the tears furiously from his eyes as he settled back into his normal demeanor, and Kazuma smiling as his plans unfolded.

**A/N: Thanks everyone for being so patient with me as I've uploaded and edited all these chapters and tried to get my account back on track. I hope to have Chapter 13 up soon, so please tell me what you think of this story so far! **

**Arigatou,  
Tsukishiro Ayame**


	13. Insecure

**A/N: Konyanyachiwa, minna-san! It's so good to be back on my hectic update-schedule, trying to get at least a chapter posted each day while also trying to make sure I don't have twenty thousand grammatical errors in the documents and keeping track of where I am in the story… I'm amazed at how I'm having fun with this. Well, all complaints aside, here we go with Chapter 13!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fruits Basket (aka Furuba), the unexpectedly-American titled manga by Takaya Natsuki-sensei.**

**WARNING: Lemons, limes, yaoi, and other forms of sexual content are present in this work, and have the potential to be present in this particular chapter. **

**Chapter 13: Insecure**

Sohma Akito sits in a corner of his darkened room, the corpse of a tiny sparrow resting upon the floor as the fading sunlight illuminates its frail bones and blue feathers. A single tear slides down the cheek of the one so many fear, so many see as cold. As heartless.

A single tear slides down his cheek as he rises, the breeze playing with wisps of ebony hair and dancing along the insides of his oversized kimono. Akito kisses the wind, not really touching it, but feeling it within his trembling heart and wishing he could become a part of its never-ending whole.

It is a rare time indeed when the head of the Sohma household feels as if there is something more for him to discover in the vastness of the world aside from a cure. It is a moment of revelation when he sees that power is not the only treasure for him to obtain. In this moment, the moment in which Akito kisses the wind, he is himself.

The sunlight fades quickly to him; nightfall comes even quicker than illness, quicker than death. The black cloak of night sneaks up on Akito even faster than Yuki had first run from him in their childhood days, the days when Akito was not himself, when the monoke had taken over his body and beat the silver-haired boy, the rat that Akito himself had truly wished to be, rather than the core of the Zodiac curse. The monoke sensed this longing; it knew of Akito's darkest desires and of his dreams. And this was why it took him over, made Akito into the cold, spiteful, hated individual he had become in the eyes of the Sohma family.

The only one he loved had also been pushed away…

The single tear is slowly accompanied by its many brethren, their caravan rushing along the pale, smooth skin on the face of Sohma Akito.

Sohma Hatori sits at the table Sohma Kazuma has prepared for Honda Tohru, drinking his tea with the expression of the Buddha himself upon his handsome, flawless face. The expression is a façade, however. Inside the mind of the dragon, a typhoon of questions rises, spurred on by the winds of chaos. Hatori wonders how Kazuma-shishou's plans for the two young ones, Sohma Kyo and Tohru, will work out. He knows that the cat is here; where else would Kyo have disappeared to, and why else invite Tohru to dinner? The entire affair was quite complicated, really, and there was nothing more the impeccably dressed family doctor liked more than simplicity.

Hatori knew how Tohru and Kyo felt about each other. It was now apparent to every Sohma, save Akito and Kyo. Hatori also knew that there would be a terrible price to pay, should Tohru take the chance and admit her feelings for the cat. If there two of them chose to be together…to live the life that he had attempted to live alongside Kana…

The punishments would be horrific.

Grasping his cup in steady hands, Hatori drew in the misty steam and reveled in the scent that wafted from within. There was nothing left for him to do.

_It is as Shigure says, _the dragon told himself. _Whatever will be, will be. Whatever won't be, won't. Que sera sera. _

However, has Hatori looked out of eyes the same color as his vest, he wished with all his heart that he was wrong.

Sohma Momiji sat on the cold stone benches that were located inside the walls of Akito's garden, the final traces of midday completely lost in the pale coolness of evening. The bunny stared down into the pond that rippled before him, thoughts darted to and fro within his mind just as the koi in the pool danced beneath the glass-like surface of the water. Lost in his own thoughts, his honey-wheat hair glowing with the dying sunlight, he sat, still as a statue, oblivious to the two figures that slowly approached. They too, were lost in their own little world.

Sohma Yuki and Sohma Hatsuharu walked along the quiet stretch of land that lead to Akito's fish pond, the leaves dancing merrily above them as the velvet-clad shadow of night approached.

"Can you tell me another?" Yuki inquired politely of the black- and white-haired cow that accompanied him. The two youths had spent the better part of the evening telling each other stories; stories about their lives, stories their parents told them, stories that just popped up in their heads. It was a wonderful way, they thought, to spend an evening with a friend.

Hatsuharu smiled down at the beautiful gray-haired rat, his hair almost white where the sunlight hit. "Of course. What kind of story should it be?"

"Any kind of story," Yuki answered, slipping his arm into the crook of Hatsuharu's elbow. "Any kind of story will do."

The cow then nodded and began to tell Yuki yet another tale, his seventh tale that day, and it went like this:

_If you've fallen in love, you've fallen victim to insecurity. If you were the only person in the world and didn't have to worry about anyone else, then you'd never feel insecure. People say "I love you." They say "I love you very much." You're bound to feel the same amount of insecurity as you do love. _

_Once upon a time, I had a dream. I was happy, snuggled deep within the folds of a blanket. My stomach was full, the blanket was fluffy and warm. I was in **his** house. I wished I could stay there forever. I wished I could be that happy forever. All of a sudden, I felt a strong hand at the back of my neck. _

"_What? What is it?" I cried. "What happened?" I was being carried down the hallway, my voice ignored. "I want to stay in this room! I want to stay! Why are you being so mean?" The door opened, and a terribly cold wind assaulted me. There was snow outside. "NOOOOooo! It's cold! I don't want to go outside! It's cold!"_

_The next thing I knew, I was up to my ears in snow. He had tossed me out of his house, out of that nice, warm bed and into the wetness that was winter. Banging on the door, I shouted:_

"_It's cold outside! The snow is cold! Why won't you let me stay in your room?"_

"_Because I don't need you anymore!" was his harsh reply, right before he slammed the sliding door shut once more._

"_Open up! Don't be mean to me! Don't dump me!" I sat down and began to cry, tears streaming down both sides of my face as the once-perfect world I inhabited crumbled about my ears. "Open the door! It's cold! I'm sad! I'm lonely!"_

_Right then, I woke up. _

'_What a bad dream,' I thought. It was a recurring dream. The story changed, but the ending never did. He always tells me that he doesn't need me anymore._

_I'm worried._

_I love him, but maybe he doesn't feel the same way. He might have loved me yesterday, but he hates me today.I_

_I love hi,. And that's why I feel insecure. I approach his door with the key he has given me, and summon all my courage. Opening the door is hard after that dream. It is even harder when my key doesn't work. _

'_WHAT?' my mind screams. 'This is the spare key that he gave me, but the door won't open! Does this mean that he doesn't want me around anymore? Maybe I'm being dumped. Was that dream a premonition?'_

_The door suddenly opens, startling me. _

"_What are you doing?" he asks. "Hurry up and get inside," he tells me. "You'll turn into a snowman."_

_Once we are inside, I try to speak. "Uh, um…my key…didn't work…"_

_He sighs heavily and points at the door. "I told you last week that I changed the lock," he scolds. _

"_Oh good…that dream wasn't a premonition," I murmur happily._

"_Did you say something?"_

_I shake my head quickly, a smile plastered upon my face. "Nothing."_

_As we walk towards his room, I realize something. Love is matched by insecurity. For the number of days you're in love, there's an equal number of days you're insecure. But with each day, I fall that much more in love with you. _

His tale ended, Hatsuharu draws a deep breath and asks Yuki what he thinks. The rat is a bit baffled by the way Hatsuharu chose to present the story, but of its nature, the meaning is clear.

"I quite enjoyed it, really," he says politely. "But why did you choose to tell me that one?"

Hatsuharu smiles down at his companion and replies, "You said any story, did you not?"

The rat nods.

"Well, then," the ox continues, " what does it matter? But, if you must know, I chose that story to tell you how I feel sometimes, and to enlighten someone else to the dilemmas of insecurity."

Yuki's confusion is evident, and Hatsuharu's smile only grows. Jerking his head in the direction of the fish pond, Hatsuharu indicates the small figure sitting upon the bench, his eyes focused on the pair that are coming towards him.

"Momiji?" Yuki asks, his voice barely audible in the still air.

**A/N: And that's the end of Chapter 13! The actual story _Insecure_ if from CLAMP's _Watashi no Sukinahito: The One I Love_, but it's in manga format, and not nearly as cheesy as I made this version out to be. Anyhow, Chapter 14 will be up soon, and it'll answer the questions that I left open in this chappie. Oh yeah, and I'm dedicating Hatsuharu-san's tale of insecurity to my sexy Koi-kun! AISHITERU: kisses: Lol. Can't wait to hear your reviews, and we'll see you soon!**

**Luff,  
****Tsukishiro Ayame**


	14. The Hanged Man

**A/N: Konyanyachiwa, Minna-sama! Arigatou for sticking with me this far, and for all your wonderful, wonderful reviews! I am so pleased to write for you all, and I am very grateful to all the people who helped me with this fic. :bows: Arigatou gosaimasu yo. And now, without further ado, on the Chapter 14: The Hanged Man. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not, nor have I ever, owned Fruits Basket. I don't think that I'm going to own it any time in the near (or very far away) future, either. **

**WARNING: Same as usual; lemons, limes, yaoi, and/or other forms of sexual content may be present in this piece of writing.**

**Chapter 14: The Hanged Man**

_"That Jack would press his mouth to my throat to find the secret pool of my pulse, that he would say, 'Let's get out of here,' that he would break the window, break the spell, the cards scattering down around us in a torrent, whirring like wings."_

_-Francesca Lia Block, The Hanged Man_

Sohma Kazuma smiled serenely as he walked down the dojo halls with the boy he had tried to raise, the boy whom he had become like a father to. He smiled as he walked down the hallways with a boy he could never truly comfort. Kazuma walked along slowly, the orange-haired Sohma Kyo beside him, heading toward the training room he had converted into a dining area where Sohma Hatori, Sohma Shigure, and Honda Tohru sat waiting.

Sohma Kyo's hands were balled into fists at his sides; he had been furiously wiping away tears that had assaulted him upon seeing Tohru with Hatori outside in the yard, their actions causing much more pain than the cat could bear...He shuffled along the wooden halls, his white socks becoming dusty and dingy from the dirt they collected from the floors. Kazuma had polished the dojo from top to bottom in preparation for Tohru's arrival, but there were halls he knew she would not walk, and therefore found no need in cleaning them.

Sohma Shigure sat at the table, a playful smile upon the face of the mischief-seeking inu, his arms folded across his chest. He was watching Hatori drink his tea, slowly, as if he were pondering some deep secret, some truth that could be attained only by viewing the inner ego. After a while, the dog averts his gaze to the sandy-haired girl who is sitting opposite of him. Her ivory shirt is illuminated by the failing light of the orange orb that is the sun; the satin ribbons hang from her breast just as the twin locks of hair hang along either side of her pale face.

Shigure's eyes are dark as they dart to the door where Kazuma is standing, a small, serene smile gracing the slender lips. Behind the dojo master stands Kyo, the very same Kyo that had run away from Shigure's house two days before; the same Kyo the Sohmas' precious Tohru was pining for.

With a slight cough, Kazuma captures the attention of everyone in the room.

Tohru's P.O.V.

I feel like it's my fault that Kyo-kun left two days ago. The last time I saw him, he was sitting on the roof, staring down at me, while I helped Shigure-san and Ayame-san move books. Before that day, all I can recall the way he told me he loved me, his face as red as Mom's butterfly on the back of her coat, those beautiful eyes glowing like stars...

_" Ai...Ai...Ai...AISHITERU!"_

Kazuma-san has been kind enough to invite me over to his dojo for dinner, but I'm afraid I won't be able to enjoy anything, he has made for me. I'm so, so worried about Kyo-kun.

Hatori-san and Shigure-san are here as well. Hatori-san was very nice about everything; he came to Shigure-san's house to pick us up, along with Yuki-kun and Hatsuharu-san. Yuki-kun and Hatsuharu-san aren't here at Kazuma-san's dojo, though. Hatori-san dropped them off at the main house.

I hope they're having a good time, at least.

These past few days have been very hard on me. It was kind of hard for me to get used to the idea that I've been living with Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun all this time without knowing how they felt about me. I didn't really know how I felt about them until earlier this winter, either.

Now, both of them have confessed, but all I've been able to do is tell Yuki-kun that I was sorry; I only love him as I would an older brother, much like I love Ayame-san and Hatsuharu-san and Momiji-kun and all the others. Kyo-kun never gave me a chance to tell him how I felt.

I can feel myself beginning to cry. I don't want to, but I really can't help it. I haven't been able to see Kyo-kun for two days, but it feels like an eternity since he's been near me. I want to tell him just how I feel, but it's impossible when I don't even know where he is.

Also, I have to worry about what will happen if Akito-san finds out.

The first time I went to the main house, Hatori-san had wanted to talk to me about something, and being with him kind of bothered me. Not in the way that I disliked Hatori-san-- I like him very much. It's just that...Yuki-kun had warned me about him beforehand, and it was just a bit uncomfortable being with someone I had been warned not to be alone with.

FLASHBACK

"Oh, yeah, Honda-san."

"Y-Yes?"

"I know this might sound odd, but...it's about Hatori. If you ever meet him again, try not to be left alone with him."

"Eh? How come?"

"Well...Hatori himself isn't all bad. But remember the incident I told you about, when my secred was discovered? The one who suppressed all of their memories...was Hatori. I was a little worried...I thought I should tell you."

END FLASHBACK

At the main house, Momiji-kun told me about Hatori-san, why he seemed to be so serious and so unhappy.

It was because of Akito-san.

Hatori-san had fallen in love with his assistant, Kana-san. He wanted to marry her, and they went to Akito-san for permission. But Akito-san got very angry with Hatori-san and Kana-san. Momiji-kun told me that Akito-san was so angry he hurt Hatori-san's eye. That's why Hatori-san is almost blind in his left eye.

Hatori-san doesn't blame Akito-san for it, though. Kana-san blamed herself for what happened, and she blamed herself so much that she got sick. Hatori-san didn't like seeing Kana-san that way; it hurt him even more than his eye did, I think, so he ended up erasing Kana-san's memories.

Now Kana-san is married to someone else, and Hatori-san is all alone.

I worry that something like what happened to Hatori-san will happen to Kyo-kun if I tell him how I feel.

I also worry that something like what happened to Kana-san will happen to me.

I sit at the table Kazuma-san has set out for us, waiting. He said that he is going off to find my present, whatever it may be. I am very happy to know so many people who care about me, but I hope he comes back soon. All I want is to go back home to Shigure's house and wait on the roof, as I have done night after night, for Kyo-kun.

Hatori-san is drinking is tea, and Shigure-san is looking around. He looks over at the door and his smile grows a little bit. I look down at the table, still waiting for Kazuma-san.

A slight cough from the doorway makes me turn and look.

End Tohru's POV

Sohma Momiji raises his head and turns away from the shimmering pond where golden and snow-white koi alike swim -- some dart across the bottom in large, intricate Zs; others hover like small, scaled aircraft in the middle; and still more graze the smooth surface of the pond as they kiss the bottoms of the water lilies before diving to the rocks below, ripples left behind in their wake.

Sohma Hatsuharu and Sohma Yuki are standing behind the blond-haired rabbit, Hatsuharu with a smile on his handsome face, and Yuki wearing a puzzled expression.

It had been the rat who awoke Momiji from his reverie.

Momiji looked at the pair and tilted his head, a bright smile passing over the troubled face, masking the uncertainty and pain that plagued the rabbit's quiet heart.

"Yuki, Haru, hello, hello! How are you?" the bunny inquires, hoping his older cousins missed out on the unusualness of his demeanor.

"'Evening," Hatsuharu replies, his smile still in place. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

Yuki simply continues to look at Momiji, his mind still trying to solve a peculiar riddle that has become nestled there.

"I was just watching the fish," Momiji says. "It's fun, really. They move all over the place and then they just freeze, floating in the water until something happens to make them move again."

Hatsuharu nods and moves to sit next to his half-German half-Japanese cousin before asking him if he had heard his story.

"The one you just finished?" Momiji asks.

Hatsuharu nods once more.

"Ja, I heard," Momiji replies softly. "You picked that one for me, didn't you?"

At this, Yuki decides to fill the space on Momiji's other side, asking him " What is it that makes you feel insecure, Momiji?"

The little rabbit looks up at the rat, and smiles sadly. "It's my papa. I don't see him very much because he's always with Mutti. Momo sees me and waves sometimes, thinking I'm just some little boy her mama knows, and Mutti will ask me where my parents are, and aren't they worried, but Papa...he doesn't even say anything to me."

Yuki opens his mouth to speak, but Hatsuharu cuts him off with a raised hand.

"It's not always like that, though," Momiji continues, his eyes on the ground in front of him. "He speaks to me when we're here at the main house, or when mama's not around, but...it's different than what it used to be. I think he's beginning to see me the way Mutti does, now."

Hatsuharu places an arm around Momiji's shoulder.

"Your dad is a Sohma, remember?"

Momiji looks up. "What does that have to do with anything?"

All of a sudden, Yuki understands the story, Momiji's plight, everything. Leaning over to where Momiji can see his face, Yuki interjects:

"It means that your dad loves you, just as much as any of the Sohma father's can possibly love their sons. Your father isn't going to turn his back on you, Momiji. It might seem that way to you because you love both your parents when only one of them loves you back, but it's like the story said: 'You're bound to feel the same amount of insecurity as you do love.'"

Pleased that Yuki has finally caught on ( quite amusing, considering that Yuki always got things quickly), Hatsuharu took Yuki's hand.

"Momiji," the cow said. "Yuki is absolutely right. The only reason you feel like your dad isn't there for you is because you love him so much, it makes you worry. The people you care for, the people who care for you...it's a part of the price you end up paying for all your happiness."

Momiji thinks about this for a bit, the two older Sohmas looking down at the top of his head, waiting for some kind of response.

Suddenly, the little blond bunny hops up and spins around to face those who are still sitting, and smiles a genuine smile of the purest happiness.

"Arigatou," he says, and hands each of them a lollipop before running off to play.

* * *

Tohru, Hatori, and Shigure all look in the direction of the door where Kazuma stands, one hand covering his mouth slightly, the other holding the slender, beaded wrist of...

"Kyo-kun."

Tohru's breath is a mere whisper, and her eyes instantly fill with tears. Kyo peers into the room from behind his shishou, the crimson eyes wide with astonishment at the girl's reaction to his presence. Why would she seem so...emotional...about seeing him again? Wasn't she with Hatori now?

"Ah, Kyo, it seems you've finally decided to show your face again," Shigure mocked.

Hatori simply looked from Tohru to Kyo, wondering what the two were going to do now that they were within earshot of each other again.

Kyo stood stock-still, the color drained from his face. He had completely ignored Shigure's comment, his mind still reeling from the sight of Tohru's tears and the way her voice had called out his name.

Kazuma suddenly pushed the rigid cat forward, causing him to stumble and almost land face-first at Tohru's feet. Kyo, through some touch of luck, managed to land on his knees, a foot or so away from the pillow on which Tohru perched.

"Kyo-kun," Tohru whispered once more, her beautiful brown eyes glistening with tears of happiness. She was so very, very happy to see Kyo again that all of her fears about what would happen to them if her feelings were known disappeared.

Leaning forward slightly, the opal droplets still coursing down her cheeks like rain upon the smooth trunk of a birch tree, Tohru looked up into Kyo's wide, crimson eyes.

"I love you, Kyo."

Time seemed to have stopped in that same instant that the words passed from Tohru's lips to Kyo's ears. And it did not stop for the two teens alone-- no, it had stopped for Shigure, Hatori, and Kazuma as well. All three men stood with bated breath, waiting for the cat's response; waiting for him to make some move; to say something, anything.

Kyo looked at Tohru for what seemed like an eternity before he glanced over at Hatori, trying to read the expression on the dragon's face. It was true that he loved Tohru, but there was no way he was going after some girl who was already taken by someone else; especially if that someone else was another Sohma.

Hatori noticed the cat's gaze and gave him a _Go on and say something to her! _look. He had no clue as to why Kyo was looking at hiim with such questioning eyes, but it kind of irritated him.

Finally turning back to Tohru with her eyes so full of love, hope, and relief, Kyo smiled for the first time since the day he, Yuki, Momiji, and his beloved had visited the onsen, as he leaned forward, not caring about what would happen once their bodies touched. He didn't care, because he had finally found someone he loved more than anyone else in the world, and that someone loved him back.

For the first time in his entire life, Kyo felt as if a great weight was lifted off of his shoulders.

He felt whole; no longer split between man and animal, but as a single entity.

He was himself.

**A/N: And that, watashi no tomodachi, is the end of Chapter 14. I'm not sure whether I want to end the story here, or continue on. I have some ideas for the next...oh, six or seven chapters should I choose to continue, but I really want you, my wonderful readers, to decide. So please, submit your reviews and tell me whether or not you want 'Claims' to continue, or take its final bows. **

**Until we meet again,**

**Tsukishiro Ayame**


	15. Unexpected Happenings

**DISCLAIMER: Natsuki Takaya-sensei owns Fruits Basket, and my friend Kitsune-chan has my Fruits Basket anime. **

**WARNING: Lemons, limes, yaoi may be present in this fic accompanied by sprinklings of fluff.**

**A/N: Konnichiwa Minna-sama. Gomen nasai for the delayed update, but I was going through some difficulties. I will try to stick with my updates from here on out. And, contrary to a previous statement, Sohma Akito is male. Gomen nasai for any confusion.**

**A Special Note:  
**Many, many thanks to Aei-chan, who helped me realize one of my vast mistakes in the creation of this chapter.

**Chapter 15: Unexpected Happenings**

Sohma Kyo held her close and the seconds were never-ending. Her hair smelled of sweet honey; her body was warm and soft against his muscular chest. Kyo had never felt anything like it ever before, and he relished the moment. Alas, his precious moment soon came to an end as an all to familiar "poof!" was heard, and Honda Tohru looked down to see a beautiful orange cat sprawled in her lap.

"Kyo-kun," Tohru whispered, her voice tinged with both happiness and tears. "Arigatou."

Kyo looked up at the sandy-haired girl, confusion written all over his feline face.

"F-for what?" he sputtered, trying to refrain from peering under the hem of Tohru's thin white skirt which had ridden up her creamy thighs.

"For…" Tohru began to answer, but she was cut off by a loud shout from Sohma Shigure.

"Kyo! Are you trying to peep under Tohru-kun's skirt!"

Kyo leapt about a foot into the air before bristling and hissing at the dog about how only a "stupid pervert like you" would do such a thing. Tohru simply sat with a slight blush on her cheeks as she murmured softly. The only individual to understand what the girl had said was Sohma Hatori, whose eyes widened with genuine bewilderment, and the cup of tea he had been nursing fell to the floor with a mighty crash and an accompaniment of dripping liquid.

Upon hearing the demise of one of Sohma Kazuma's favorite cups, Shigure and Kyo stopped their argument and looked over at the pallid dragon, whose ebony eyes were still fixated on a blushing Tohru.

Kazuma-shishou was the first to speak: "Hatori, what's wrong?" The dojo master had been standing in the doorway ever since Kyo was brought in, but he now made a move to comfort his relative, only to be stopped short as Hatori-- serious, stiff, professional Hatori-- began to laugh. It was a deep, gratifying laugh that spread its golden wings and touched every soul in the room, soon causing Shigure's gay tones to join the richness of Hatori's, followed swiftly by Kazuma-shishou's silvery laughter. A few moments later, and Kyo's chuckles added to the chorus, enhanced by the light fairy-bells of Tohru's giggles.

The four Sohmas and Honda Tohru laughed and laughed until Shigure clutched his sides and tears rolled down his face. Struggling for breath, Shigure finally brought his laughter under just enough control to ask a very simple question:

"So, Hatori, what are we all laughing about, anyway?"

Hatori, still chuckling softly, made a flapping motion with his hand to tell everyone else to stop laughing so he could explain.

Kyo's cat form was being held in Tohru's arms and the both of them were gasping for air, their laughter still coming in short bursts.

Kazuma-shishou was sitting on the hardwood floor, having found it impossible to both stand and laugh as uproariously as he had been, tears of mirth leaving shimmering trails upon his sculpted cheeks.

Tohru wiped away a few tears of her own. "Ah ha..." Hatori laughed. "Ahn...hmm...(cough) I had started laughing because of something Tohru-kun had said. I don't know why you all were." The dragon had settled back into his usual business-like demeanor and began picking up the remains of Kazuma-shishou's shattered teacup. "Sorry about the cup, Kazuma. I'll be sure to repay you or replace it, whichever you would prefer.," he said before rising.

"Where are you going, 'Tori-san?" Shigure asked, noticing that the dragon was heading toward the foyer and that there wasn't a cigarette in sight.

"I need to check up on Akito," Hatori said simply, putting on his shoes before turning and bowing to the semi-stunned party that still sat in Kazuma-shishou's makeshift dining room.

As soon as Hatori was out the door, the faint 'click' echoing behind him, Kazuma-shishou, Kyo, Tohru, and Shigure all sat in silence, not quite understanding what had just taken place. The silence was finally interrupted by a loud snapping sound, followed by the appearance of a naked Kyo and a squeal from a highly embarrassed Tohru.

"Silly Tohru, why did you put him on the floor?" Shigure teased as Tohru blushed a furious shade of red and an equally crimson Kyo ran from the room, his clothes trailing behind him.

Kazuma-shishou then stood up, clapped his hands, and smiled amicably.

"So, who's ready for dinner?"

KYO'S POV

'Kami-sama, I wish I could have spent just a moment longer with her. They way she smiles, the way she felt..._Kami-sama,_ who ever would have thought Tohru could evoke this kind of feeling from someone like me? From the cat of the Zodiac?

'Gah, my face is still burning. How embarrassing, transforming in front of her like that after laughing like an idiot. Wait, what were we laughing about, anyway? I'll have to get Tohru to tell me what she said to get Hatori to act so weird...'

These were the thoughts that were running through my head as I got dressed in one of the back rooms of Shishou's dojo. It really was cruel of him to invite Tohru over like that, knowing I had run away just so I wouldn't have to be near her. Normally I would be furious, but I think I'll let it slide, this time.

She did, after all, tell me she loved me.

FLASHBACK

"Kyo-kun."

Tohru's breath is a mere whisper, and her eyes instantly fill with tears. Kyo peers into the room from behind his shishou, the crimson eyes wide with astonishment at the girl's reaction to his presence. Why would she seem so...emotional...about seeing him again? Wasn't she with Hatori now?

"Ah, Kyo, it seems you've finally decided to show your face again," Shigure mocked.

Hatori simply looked from Tohru to Kyo, wondering what the two were going to do now that they were within earshot of each other again.

Kyo stood stock-still, the color drained from his face. He had completely ignored Shigure's comment, his mind still reeling from the sight of Tohru's tears and the way her voice had called out his name.

Kazuma suddenly pushed the rigid cat forward, causing him to stumble and almost land face-first at Tohru's feet. Kyo, through some touch of luck, managed to land on his knees, a foot or so away from the pillow on which Tohru perched.

"Kyo-kun," Tohru whispered once more, her beautiful brown eyes glistening with tears of happiness. She was so very, very happy to see Kyo again that all of her fears about what would happen to them if her feelings were known disappeared.

Leaning forward slightly, the opal droplets still coursing down her cheeks like rain upon the smooth trunk of a birch tree, Tohru looked up into Kyo's wide, crimson eyes.

"I love you, Kyo."

END FLASHBACK

A warm feeling, a gentle smile; that's what Tohru is to me now. I don't know how that damn rat, Yuki, will take it when he finds out, but he'll just have to deal with it.

'It's about time you beat that rat at something,' the voice in my head says. I think my animal spirit is actually proud of me.

'Damn straight I'm proud of you! Now put on your shirt and get back out there to your girl!'

My girl?

Oh, how sweet two simple words can be.

END KYO'S POV

Sohmas Hatsuharu and Yuki sat on the bench in Sohma Akito's garden, watching the restless koi dart back and forth beneath the glassy surface of the pool like streaks of white and tangerine light. Hatsuharu sidled over to Yuki, sliding his hands around the silver-haired boy's waist and resting his black-and-white head on his cousin's shoulder.

"Yuki?" Hatsuharu murmured, having felt no response from the teen seated beside him. "Are you...uncomfortable with this?" Yuki sighed lightly, but did not turn to face Hatsuharu. Instead, the rat bowed his head so that his silvery bangs covered his eyes before he started talking.

"Haru," Yuki said sadly, "I'm really glad we got to spend all this time together, but I don't know if I want to go any farther with you right now than a simple friendship."

Hatsuharu stiffened.

"I really did love Honda-san," Yuki continued. "She was always helpful to me, and always so caring that I couldn't help by to fall in love with her. It still hurts, you know...having to live with the fact that she chose Kyo over me. I still hurts so much..."

Hatsuharu sat, his arms limp around the now-tearful Yuki, his head still upon its narrow resting place. The poor cow was at a complete loss.

"I- I don't know what to tell you, Yuki. I mean, I thought we were getting somewhere. I thought you realized that I'm still in love with you. I thought you were finally going to come to me, Yuki."

Hatsuharu stood up. His entire attitude had changed and his charcoal eyes flamed with a cold fire in the dark. Night had fallen, and Black Haru had awoken.

"After the past few days, Yuki, I thought you were finally going to say that you FUCKING LOVED ME!"

The shout echoed throughout the garden as a furious Hatsuharu stomped away, crushing every rock, branch, and statue that got in his way.

Yuki still sat on the bench, his deep lavender eyes wide, trembling. The only words to pass his tender lips were "What have I done?"

Sohma Akito lay in his bedchambers, upset that Hatori had said he was still not well enough to venture outdoors on his own. So he lay on his back, cursing his mother and father for allowing him to live with the curse within.

"Would it not have been better if they had let me die before I was even born?" she mused aloud.

"Well, if you had died, I wouldn't be able to do what I came here for, now, would I?"

Akito looked over toward the voice and smiled slightly.

"What are you doing here, Haru?"

Hatsuharu made his way to the futon and sat down on its edge. He sighed heavily.

"Yuki's in love with Honda Tohru," he said at long last.

"That traitorous fool," Akito spat. "Doesn't he know that the Sohma family is where he belongs?"

Hatsuharu stared into space, somewhat happy that Akito was furious with Yuki.

'What ever shall I do to make that rat remember that he belongs to me, and to me alone?' his thoughts whispered.

"What shall I do about it?" Akito murmured, running his hands over the violet sheet that covered his frail body.

"Nothing," Hatsuharu replied.  
Akito looked over at Hatsuharu and her breath caught in her throat as he leaned over a brushed his lips, ever so lightly, against his own. Slowly, Akito relaxed into the ox's kiss. Hatsuharu parted Akito's lips, allowing his tongue to slip inside as fingers became entangled in his short, silky hair. Hatsuharu's hands cupped Akito's slender waist and the floorboards creaked softly beneath them.

As they kissed, the two were completely oblivious to the pair of eyes that watched them from the slightly opened door.

**A/N: I am SOOOOO sorry for not being able to update sooner. And I'm even more sorry for getting my facts mixed up. Once again, arigatou gosaimasu Aei-chan, for helping me realize this mistake. Well, remember, R&R, and Chapter 16 will be up Friday! I promise!**

**Til then,  
Tsukishiro Ayame, SIGNING OFF!**


	16. Aftermath

**A/N: Konyanyachiwa, Minna-sama! I (obviously) recovered my notebook! Yatta! Anyhow, I know I promised you guys Chapter 17 along with the posting of Chapter 16, but I decided to change things up a bit. So, instead of posting two chapters for _Claims_ today, I'm going to post the first chapter of my Inuyasha fanfic _To Hear You Say I Love You_. Chapter 17 will be posted ...soon. Kinda like Bioware's _Neverwinter Nights _soon. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Fruits Basket. _If I did, I wouldn't need to ask anyone to float me lunch money. **

**WARNING: This work of fanfiction is rated M (R). Lemons, limes, and other forms of fruit as well as sexual content may be found in this story. **

**Chapter 16: Aftermath**

Sohma Hiro was sitting in the Kekkai Medical Emergency Room lobby, his face stained with unwanted tears. At the age of thirteen, he was going through the most painful experience imaginable: Sohma Kisa, his beloved tigress, was dying.

At least, that's how Hiro saw it. No one could get hit by a car the way that Kisa had and live.

School had ended not more than two hours ago, and Kisa had the cruel fate of spending her first quarter hour of freedom lying on a sidewalk in a pool of her own blood. The driver of the car had been a young guy who was rushing home to meet his girlfriend. "She just came into town from Toronto," he'd said, wringing his hands as the lanky policeman interrogated him mercilessly.

Hiro sighed and stretched out in the hard plastic chair. He hated hospitals. The stench of sick people layered over by the fake clean smell of cheap antiseptic and sterile beds, needles, and linens drove him crazy. The fluorescent lights did little more than add a harsh glare to the shining floors and gloomy walls.

_Everything about hospitals is so depressing, Hiro thought absently, watching the nurses bustle about behind their this glass windows, clipboards and folders strewn across the countertops. _

Hiro was so lost in the movements of the hospital staff that he didn't even realize that Sohma Kagura had entered the lobby until she had wrapped her arms around the internally suffering ram.

"I'm so sorry," Kagura whispered.

"I don't need you to be sorry," a somewhat startled Hiro snapped. "All I need is for Kisa to be okay!"

Just as Hiro was shoving his cousin away, a lean man with ebony hair and peircing eyes stepped out of the back halls. His white lab coat was utterly spotless, and his polished black Gucci loafers gleamed.

"Sohma?" he called, looking about the room.

"Here!" Hiro shouted, finally disentangling himself from Kagura's embrace. The man nodded and motioned the boy over.

"I am Doctor Shiro Kamui," he said. "There are a few things I need to discuss with you concerning Kisa."

* * *

"Yuki-kun, please come out and eat something," Honda Tohru pleaded, her hands resting on Sohma Yuki's bedroom door. Ever since Yuki had hear that Sohma Hatsuharu had slept with Sohma Akito, he had refused to do anything except go to school and use the bathroom. The rat hadn't bathed in two days, and he hadn't eaten, either. 

Sohma Shigure's household was permeated with an air of gloom and even Sohma Kyo was worried about Yuki, though he absolutely refused to admit it.

Tohru tried knocking on the door in hopes of getting Yuki to at least open up and allow her to pass him the soup she's brought up, but she was met with silence.

"I'll just leave your bowl out here, alright, Yuki-kun? Try and eat it before it gets too cold, okay?" she muttered, shuffling away in defeat.

Sohma Kyo looked up at Tohru as she slumped down the stairs, his eyes filled with worry.

"Tohru?" the cat inquired, walking over to put his arms around her as best he could without transforming. "Tohru, don't worry so much. Yuki will come out when he's ready."

Tohru looked up at Kyo with wide eyes.

"N-Nan ka?"

"You said...you said Yuki-kun's name..." Tohru stammered, a goofy grin starting across her face.

"So what?" Kyo asked, not quite realizing what had just happened.

"You said Yuki-kun's name like you were really worried about him and like you really do care," Tohru beamed.

"I don't care about that rat!" Kyo shouted, still denying the fact that he was, indeed, worried about his cousin. "It's you I'm worried about, Tohru," he added, his voice a bit softer. " I dont' want to see you worried or sad or anything. I want you to smile, Tohru. I really, really do."

"I want you to smile, too, Kyo," Tohru said, brushing a lock of sandy hair behind her ear.

Kyo them leaned forward and captured Tohru's lips with his own. It was a fairly short kiss, but nonetheless sweet.

"Mmm...ano, Kyo?" Tohru mumbled, once the kiss was over. "Don't you think we need to tell Kagura-san about us? I mean, she is love with you and everything..."

Kyo was floored. He'd completely forgotten all about the boar and her insane infatuation with him. Letting go of Tohru, the cat smacked himself on the forehead.

"KUSO!"

**A/N: Okay, I know that was a weird ending to a short chapter, but that's just the way it goes. I don't own the complete idea of Doctor Shiro Kamui, just the idea of him being a doctor. The original Kamui-sama was a character created by the four talented females who make up CLAMP for the manga X/1999. **

**Banana pudding and Takoyaki,  
****Tsukishiro Ayame **


	17. Breaking and Mending Part One

**A/N: Konyanyachiwa, Minna-sama! O-genki desu ka? I hope you're all doing okay, and that you've enjoyed my story so far. I want to send a special thank-you out to Alyana-san for her interest in my story, as well as to inu-lover-alwayz-n-4eva and Tiffany-san for all the creative reviews. To everyone else (no, I most absolutely did NOT forget about you all!) thank you for all your reviews, comments, and interest in this story. I'm so glad that you all take the time out of your day to read and review. It means so much to me, and I greatly appreciate it. Honestly, I do. **

**DISCLAIMER: _Fruits Basket _(aka _Furuba_) is, was, and always will be the property of Natsuki Takaya-sensei, and I can only wish that I was as talented as she. **

**WARNING: Lemons, limes, and/or other forms of sexual content may be present in this chapter, as well as the mention of ice cream in one of its many forms. **

**Chapter 17: Breaking and Mending- Part One**

_"The way you touch my lips right after every kiss  
And softly whisper that I'm your everything  
The way you pray our love won't die  
Every night just before you close your eyes_

_Cause baby when you sleep I watch you breathing  
Baby when you dream I dream with you  
Cause everywhere you are is where I want to be  
it's true  
Everything you do makes me know how much I love you"_

-Marc Anthony, from _Everything You Do _on the album _Mended-_

Sohma Yuki turned over in his bed. He felt bad for having not opened the door for Honda Tohru, knowing that she was worried about him and only wanted him to feel better. It was a heartrending feeling though, finding out that the one person he wanted to be closer to after Tohru had rejected him was the same person who had slept with Sohma Akito less than three days ago. Yuki hadn't realized until just then how much the budding friendship he had been developing with Sohma Hatsuharu had meant to him. The ox had always told Yuki that he had loved him, that Yuki was his first love. But for all those many years, Yuki had shrugged off Hatsuharu's comments, shrugged it off as a joke. Now he wished that he'd just kept his mouth shut and went along with everything.

_I made a huge mistake_, Yuki thought, tears forming within his amethyst eyes. _I should have told him in the very beginning that he would be unable to replace Tohru._

Yuki turned over once again so that he was flat on his back, eyes toward the ceiling. He was looking up, but not seeing anything. All of his attention was focused on a point within himself that was screaming: _You've hurt one of your friends! You're always pushing people away, and they're always getting hurt because of you! You've been blind to it all this time, because they were just girls from school; people you didn't have to be bothered with outside of a classroom. But now you've done it, now you get to see exactly what kind of pain your actions cause others, as well as live with it!_

Yuki cried then, knowing that what his inner voice was telling him was absolutely true. He cried as he remembered all the girls he had pushed away, all the excuses he had made up. Yuki thought he had been getting better by being around Tohru, but the truth of it was that he was only using Tohru as a blinder in order to shield himself from his own faults.

Yuki's tears streamed down his cheeks to soak his shirt collar, to soak the pillows beneath his silvery head. The sad part, though, was that the poor rat didn't even care. He wasn't wallowing in self-pity, he was drowning in self-hatred.

And he still hated himself as his tears carried him off to the shores of sleep.

* * *

Sohma Shigure felt so out of place in his own house that it was pathetic. The gloom that had settled over the property ever since Yuki had found out that Hatsuharu and Akito had gotten together had turned everything inside out. Sohma Kyo had been a bit quieter than usual, and everyone knew why. Kyo never admitted to it, but everyone still knew. He spent more and more time around a very worried Tohru as she slipped about the kitchen like a ghost, just going through the motions of making meals and cleaning up. Shigure had no idea what it was going to take to get things back to normal. 

Sighing lightly to himself, Shigure readjusted his kimono and put on his glasses, deciding that the topsy-turvy twist his life had taken was the perfect moment for him to give his editor a heart attack. As the hum of his computer turned into a purr, Shigure stretched his muscular hands and began to write the final chapters of his latest novel...three weeks beforethey weredue.

**A/N: Okay, okay, that was a really short, crappy chapter with absolutely no substance whatsoever, but I'm going through some stuff at the moment, and I really don't feel well right now. Chapter 18 will be up soon, and I hope to have Chapter 20 written by Friday and posted no later than Saturday afternoon. **

**Kyo: Yeah, like that'll happen.**

**A/N: Anyway...I've completed my pairings list (Version 2.0!) for this fic, and I'm in the works on some new stuff, so just stay tuned, and I'll do my best to get this fic on its way to completion. I'm really sorry about the craptacularness of this chapter. You should really enjoy Chapter 18, though. smirks I love you all!**

**Always,  
****Tsukishiro Ayame**


	18. Breaking and Mending Part Two

_**This chapter is dedicated to my sunshine, who, without even being here, has added so much joy and meaning to my life. I love you.**_

**A/N: Konnichiwa, Minna-sama. Once again, I apologize for the utter retardedness of the previous chapter, and sincerely hope you enjoy this one. I would like to give special thanks to Kitsune-chan and Koi-kun for their support and love throughout the time they've known me, as well as for their patience. (I would have died nine times over without it.) Koi-kun, I'd also like to thank you for inspiring parts of this chapter and listening to me cry when I needed someone to lean on. You've always been so wonderful to me, I will never be able to repay you properly or thank you enough. As always, thanks to my readers for their reviews and support of this fic. Thank you, minna-sama, so very, very much! Oh...and for those of you who were trying to keep track of time in the story, it's now March 20th.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Fruits Basket, _aka _Furuba . _It is published by TokyoPop and written/illustrated by Natsuki Takaya-sensei. **

**WARNING: This fic was written by a former vegan whose former love-interest was formerly a vegan-eating ninja. Therefore, lemon, limes, and other forms of sexual content, which were formerly seen in abundance, may be present.**

**Chapter 18: Breaking and Mending- Part Two**

_"Real heroes are men who fall and fail and are flawed, but win out in the end because they've stayed true to their ideals and beliefs and commitments."_

- Kevin Costner-

The sun was still snoozing beneath its blanket of velvety night when Sohma Yuki padded down the stairs and slipped quietly out the front door. Having fallen asleep with nothing but pain and hatred in his heart, Yuki felt empty inside when he awoke. It was the same kind of emptiness one feels after they've cried their eyes out over the death of a loved one or have just experienced the bitter end of a long, meaningful relationship. It was the kind of emptiness that caused Yuki a wrenching pain in the pit of his stomach.

Once outside, Yuki breathed in the crisp air of dawn's nightcap, filling his lungs with the scent of earth and deep green leaves. Spring was fast approaching and the breeze was alive with the heady aromas that accompanied the passing of winter.

Yuki wasn't too worried about the others waking up to find that he'd disappeared. It had become customary for the rat to head to school before Honda Tohru and Sohma Kyo had even gotten out of bed every morning since the incident with Sohma Hatsuharu had occurred.

Since he had at least three hours of extra time on his hands, Yuki decided to pay a visit to his garden, which he had not seen since the day he'd confessed his feelings to Tohru.

* * *

Sohma Hatori was more than startled when a loud 'thump!' jolted him out of his slumber. His ebony eyes blinked rapidly as he tried to accustom himself to the surrounding darkness. As he cast of his blankets and pulled on a pair of rumpled slacks, Hatori made his way to the door, one hand running through his tousled hair. 

As soon as the door was opened, however, all traces of sleep immediately disappeared. Hatori was wide awake and the doctor within him completely took over. On the ground before him was a young woman, no older than Yuki or Kyo, with a wild mane of silky hair that had an almost bluish tint to it due to the moon's silvery rays against the midnight velvet of the night sky.

Her long, slender limbs were folded beneath her and her delicate hands seemed to have fallen just as they reached for the door. Her clothing was ragged and dirty, the jeans she wore were full of rips and tears. Streaks of soil and grass stains wound themselves in and out of the blue denim like some kind of woven pattern below her knees. Scrapes, bruises, and cuts adorned her arms and a long gash bled on her left cheek. A sweater was wrapped around her waist and the tank top she wore had also suffered rips and tears. Hatori had almost taken the girl for dead when she shifted beneath his hands and opened her eyes, revealing irises the color of rich chocolate.

-_--a little while later---_

"What did you say your name was?" Hatori asked his brunette guest, trying to recall if she had ever actually told him her name or not.

"I never gave you my name," the teen responded smartly, scrubbing her face with the towel Hatori had given her as she stood over the bathroom sink, looking at herself in the oval mirror.

She turned and looked over at Hatori, who was sitting on the foyer floor with a cup of hot coffee in his hands, ebony eyes fastened on the girl who had, quite literally, dropped in on his life.

"What's up with the face?" she asked, turning her attention to her rumpled clothing and dabbing at the stains with a bit of soap and water.

Hatori blinked. "What face?"

"The one you're making now. It's like you're worried about something."

In all reality, Hatori really was worried. He was worried about someone walking in and hearing him talking to an outsider. He was worried about someone telling Sohma Akito that an outsider was inside the grounds of the Sohma Estate.

"Just wondering how you got here," the dragon stated smoothly. "And why you won't tell me your name."

The girl sighed slightly and stared up at the ceiling. The towel had been tossed into the sink, having failed at removing the stains it was given to remove.

"I'm looking for someone," the girl said, her gaze still on the tiles overhead. "He used to be a really good friend of mine when I was younger, but something happened and my memories of him were taken away."

Hatori nearly choked on his coffee, but tried to remain as composed as possible.

"I asked people about him at every school I knew of in this city. I even asked people in shops I passed by if they had seen him. It took a long time and a lot of work, but, about three days ago, I saw him. I followed him out here. I was going to talk to him that day, but something came up, so I couldn't. I came back to see him again."

"Who is this boy?" Hatori asked, fearing that he already knew the answer.

"His name is Sohma," the girl said, finally latching her brown gaze onto the dragon's ebony one. "Sohma Yuki."

* * *

Yuki had been staring at his little plants for a good hour before he realized that he was hungry. _Well, I have been starving myself for the past few days,_ the rat thought, standing up and stretching. _Hmm...and I could do with a bit of a bath..._

Finally making up his mind to stop feeling the way he was and move on with his life, Yuki headed back towards the house, intending to take a bath and join Tohru, Kyo, and Shigure for breakfast, and then, perhaps, he would stop by the main house and visit Sohma Hatsuharu to make amends.

_I can't be the one just for him, Yuki thought. But I can offer him my friendship again and hope that he accepts it. I can begin to mend both our broken hearts by apologizing and doing what I should have all along._

**A/N: And that's the end of Chapter 18. Hope it can make up a bit for the terrible Chapter 17. Chapter 19 will be up sometime Thursday or Friday, if not sooner, and I should be right on schedule for the promised Chapter 20. **

**Kyo: Who's the chick with Hatori?**

**A/N: ...Like I'm going to tell you and spoil everything. **

**Kyo: Tell me, dammit! -gets murderous look- TELL ME!**

**A/N: Stop interrupting my notes! No! I'm not telling you! I'm not telling anyone who the new character is until SHE'S ready to tell everyone who she is! **

**Kyo: You're such a prat.**

**A/N: Interrupt my notes one more time, cat, and I'm going to twist this story around so that you don't end up with Tohru at all. **

**Kyo: Gomen nasai, Tsukishiro-san! I'll be good... -scampers off into a corner -**

**A/N: All right then. Like I was saying, more chapters are on the way and I am on schedule, so it's all good! I go in to have all four of my wisdom teeth extracted on Thursday, so I should have plenty of time to write, type, and (hopefully) post since I get to skip work that day. We'll find out who our mystery girl is sometime in the future, and we'll also get to hear about what's going on with Kisa in later chapters, too. Don't forget to review!**

**See you in a day or two!**

**Love always,  
Tsukishiro Ayame**


	19. The Healing Process

**A/N: Um...Konnichiwa, Minna-sama. I'm not totally recovered yet, but I have been well enough to check my reviews and do _some _work on the chapters, so I figured I might as well do a little bit of an update here. It has come to my attention that some of my readers didn't like Chapter 1: The Dream, because it was ' out of character.' Yes, I know the possibility of Kyo and Tohru doing something like that is about a million to one. But then again, that's why that chapter is called 'The Dream.' There was also a comment about Hatsuharu's sexuality, which was not very warmly received. Each writer has his or her own style of writing, and they way we portray the characters varies. Please keep that in mind. On a lighter note, I am now presenting you all with the awaited Chapter 19, which I am going to make up off the top of my head because I have (once again) lost my notebook, but didn't think that it would be very nice to say that I had to delay my update because I'm really disorganized and irresponsible. So please, enjoy this impromptu chapter while I continue my search and work on a decent Chapter 20.**

**DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own _Fruits Basket. _Natsuki Takaya-sensei does, and the random characters that were seen throughout this fic such as Li Syaoran and Shiro Kamui aren't mine, either. The originals belong to CLAMP, from the mangas _Card Captor Sakura _and _X/1999. _**

**WARNING: Rated R (M). Not suitable for readers who have allergies to lemons, limes, yaoi, and other forms of written sexual content. **

**Chapter 19: The Healing Process**

Sohma Hiro stared, dumbfounded, at Sohma Kisa as she smiled up at Shiro Kamui and asked him if her "onee-san" could come and visit her soon.

Doctor Shiro Kamui, twenty-two years old with ebony hair and piercing eyes that could not be described as either golden or brown, but something much like honeyed amber, was a very dashing and well-respected man. Upright and professional at all times, Kamui was the best doctor Kekkai Medical had to offer. However, Hiro didn't quite see him that way.

Less than forty-eight hours ago, Kamui had nearly given Hiro a heart attack when he came into the hospital lobby with an aura about him that signaled the end of the world.

"She has three broken ribs, a fractured wrist, and a scar that will never heal," the doctor had told the pallid ram. "The good news, though, is that she will be just fine within the next three months."

And indeed Kisa was going be. After clapping her hands happily (and somewhat sheepishly) when Kamui told her that she could have anyone she liked to come and visit her, Kisa turned her attention to her cousin. Smiling softly at him, she beckoned Hiro to come over and sit in the chair next to her bed.

_I won't lose you again, the ram thought, removing himself from the narrow doorway. I won't lose you to anything...or anyone._

Once he sat down and Kamui had made his way out of the room, Hiro turned to Kisa, interrupting her little speech about how much fun it would be when Honda Tohru and the rest of the Sohmas that lived with Sohma Shigure came to visit, and said, in a trembling voice that didn't seem as though it quite belonged to the quick-tongued boy:

"Kisa, I love you."

**A/N: Yes, yes, I know...very very short chapter. But I'm working on the next one, really! I would have written more for this one, but my meds are kicking in again and it's not a very good feeling, thinking that you're going to end up puking up Prednisone and Tylox onto your keyboard. Eurk. Well, don't forget to review, and Chapter 20 should be up as soon as I feel like crawling out of bed again. **

**Lotsa luff,  
Tsukishiro Ayame**


	20. A Brand New Day

**A/N: Konnichiwa, Minna-sama! I am proud to present you all with the awaited Chapter 20, which is (or at least should be) considerably longer than the past few chapters. I'd like to thank all my reviewers for their commitment and appreciation of this particular work, as well as to those who could not/ did not review, but sent their comments to me via email. Arigatou gosaimasu to you all!**

**Quicknote: This is the second edition of this chapter. It's basically the same, I just added some lines to make the layout a bit clearer. Hope it helps.**

**DISCLAIMER: _Fruits Basket_ is not mine. It is the property of Natsuki Takaya-sensei.**

**WARNING: This fic has been rated M (R) for language, occasional violence, and sexual content. **

**Chapter 20: A Brand New Day**

Sohma Kyo staggered through the paper door as would a wounded camel, with a bandage wrapped around his left arm and a couple of Band-Aids crisscrossed his right cheek. Sohma Shigure, who was sitting at the dining room table, snickered at the sight.

"I take it that Kagura didn't take the news about you and Tohru-kun very well," Shigure stated lightly, sipping at the scalding hot tea set before him.

"I don't know what the hell is wrong with her, anyway," Kyo muttered, collapsing onto the floor. "I never agreed to marry her in the first place!"

"Ahmm...Mnn?"

A very sleepy Honda Tohru mumbled incoherently as she made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"She sleeps like a little kid," Kyo said, staring.

"Ano...nani...ka..." Tohru slumped down onto the floor with her head on Shigure's lap.

"You'd think she'd be up by now," the mischievous inu said, poking Tohru's cheek. "It's almost time for you all to go to school, anyhow."

"STOP TOUCHING HER, DAMMIT!"

Like lightning, Kyo had snatched Tohru away from his perverted older cousin and was now shaking the brunette by the shoulders in an attempt to rouse her.

"Mmm...Breakfast almost ready..."

Tohru muttered in her sleep once more before waking up completely and blushing a furious shade of read upon realizing that she was downstairs in her pajamas.

"Eep! G-gomen nasai!" she exclaimed before clambering to her feet. "I-I'll be right back to make breakfast!"

Tohru then ran up the stairs to change, her heart pounding in her chest at the shock of having awoken to look directly into the same crimson eyes she so often dreamed of.

As Tohru was putting the finishing touches to her uniform, a slight knock at the bedroom door made her turn. Quickly adjusting her tie, Tohru opened the door and took a step back when she saw who was standing before her.

"Yu-Yuki-kun!" she cried.

* * *

Sohma Hatori sighed as he watched his female quest snarf down her thirteenth bowl of steamed rice. The doctor had found his strange visitor just hours before, and she had told him very little about herself. All Hatori knew was that the dark-haired teen was looking for someone she had unwillingly forgotten. And it wasn't entirely Hatori's fault that that someone just happened to be his younger cousin, Sohma Yuki.

"Don't you have school?" Hatori finally asked, placing his cup onto the glass table and reaching for his coat. "I have work to do."

The girl looked up at Hatori with eyes like melted chocolate.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm a transfer student," she said, as if being a transfer student explained her ragged appearance and insatiable appetite.

"Where's your uniform? You can change in the bathroom," Hatori said.

"I don't have it," the girl stated lamely. "I've only got this stuff," she added, tugging at her ripped tank top.

Hatori knew it would be troublesome to explain if anyone found out, but there'd be ever more trouble if he left things the way they were, so he asked "Where do you live?"

"Not too far from the local boy's school," the girl said, eyeing Hatori suspiciously. "Why?"

"Get your things," Hatori said. "I'll take you home so you can change. If you're running too far behind, I'll take you to school as well."

_That's a bit more than I bargained for, the girl thought, biting her lip. Then again, I am supposed to be staying there, and all my clothes are there, so I'm pretty sure it'd be okay..._

"Okay," the brunette nodded, standing up and brushing rice grains off her lap. Once she had put her shoes on and Hatori had lit up another cigarette, the pair was off.

* * *

Sohma Kisa stared up in amazement at her honey-haired cousin, shocked at the words that had come, so unexpectedly, from the young ram's mouth.

_Kisa, I love you._

Kisa wasn't quite sure what to say. Sure, she loved Sohma Hiro back, but was it with the same kind of intensity? The way Hiro was looking at her told her, quite clearly, that Hiro loved her more than anyone.

Kisa loved a lot of people. She loved Hiro and her mom. She loved Sohma Kyo and Sohma Yuki. And it was apparent to everyone that the fair-haired tigress loved Honda Tohru, too.

But the kind of love Hiro was giving her was different, was it not? It was the kind of love that Sohma Momiji's mom and dad had for each other, right? So how was Kisa supposed to tell Hiro how she really felt, when she had no clue herself?

"Hiro-kun, I..."

Hiro looked into Kisa's eyes, which were slowly filling with tears.

"I...I love you, too," Kisa murmured. "But I also love Kyo and Shigure and everyone else. I don't know yet if the love I have for you is different...or the same. I'm sorry, Hiro-kun."

Hiro looked as though he had been slapped, but then his expression softened.

"it's okay," he whispered. "Just...let me know soon, okay?"

"Nani?"

"Whether your love for me is different or not. As soon as you find out, tell me," Hiro explained to the slightly confused tigress.

Kisa smiled then, happy that Hiro had understood.

"Okay."

* * *

Sohma Hatsuharu lay back and looked up at the ceiling of his rather messy bedroom, wondering if it would even be worth it to go to school.

_Yuki is probably still made at me, Kyo's not talking to me, and Tohru's all out of sorts...I've made quite a mess of things, the ox thought. _

Hatsuharu sincerely regretted going to Sohma Akito after what had happened between himself and Sohma Yuki, but it wasn't as if he could change the past. Hatsuharu had also given his feelings towards the rat a considerable amount of though and had come to realize that Yuki would have been the greatest friend he could ever ask for, but the rat wasn't the kind of person Hatsuharu was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with.

"I guess I will go to school," Hatsuharu muttered aloud to no one. "I can at least try and apologize to Yuki that way."

His mind made up, Hatsuharu rolled off the futon (and over the pile of clothes that covered a third of it) and proceeded to shower and dress.

**A/N: And that's the end of Chapter 20! Wooo...that took forever to type up. Probably 'cos I had to stop and eat ice cream, but that's okay. I hope you enjoyed it, and 21 should be out soon. Please review! **

**Ja ne!**

**Tsukishiro Ayame**


	21. Kill Me Kiss Me

**A/N: Konyanyachiwa, Minna-sama! I'm terribly sorry for having taken so long to update. -bows repeatedly- Please forgive me! I'm also very sorry for the short chapters. I'm trying really hard to make them longer, but...I'm having a lot of difficulties with this story. I've even considered just calling it quits and deleting it because my creativity flow has been totally shot the last couple of weeks, but I'll keep trying to a while longer. Only because I love you all sooo much. Lol. Anyway, I finally got over one hundred ten reviews! You have no idea, but my whole goal when I first started writing was to get at least 50 reviews, and you guys have been awesome. Arigatou gosaimasu, Minna-sama! -cries- I love you all!**

**DISCLAIMER: _Fruits Basket_ is the property of Natsuki Takaya-sensei, and _Kill Me Kiss Me_ is written by someone else, though I've forgotten their name at the moment. If I can guess properly, though, I'm pretty sure it's written by Lee Young Yuu.  
****  
WARNING: This fanfiction is rated M for mature audiences. (I know it's tedious; I'm required to do this. -sigh-)  
**

**Chapter 21: Kill Me Kiss Me**

A tall, lanky girl with waves of hair that were neither black, nor brown, but an exquisite mixture of both, ran up the stone steps of Sakuramoto Kitsune's house and (quite literally) straight into the door.

"Owww," she mumbled, rubbing the bridge of her nose with one hand and turning to wave goodbye to Sohma Hatori with the other.

"Do you need me to take you to school?" Hatori asked, still sitting behind the wheel of his black automobile.

"Iie," the girl said, smiling. "I'll be fine, thanks. I'll see you later, maybe?"

"I'll tell Yuki you were looking for him," Hatori replied, and pulled away.

_I wonder if that means that I shouldn't bother going back to that house, the girl thought, opening the door with a key she removed from her back pocket and slipping quietly into the house. Then again, there is something about that house...and that man's aura, that is both slightly familiar and incredibly interesting. _

Making her way up the stairs and toward the bathroom for a much-needed shower, this unusual teenager began to sing a little song she'd made out of a poem her mother had written many years before:

_"I'm sitting in all these boring places/ staring at all the impassive faces/ of these 7-year clone project friends of mine/ ready to begin to fill the spaces/ get out into the commercial races/ break free of the maternal chains that forever bind/ I'm sick of seeing and I'm sick of smelling/ the same old things day after day/ can't be me again/ can't break free again/ I'll find my own worldsong to play/ I'm watching as the time flies by/ dreaming of the day I'll die/ and be reborn with a life that's all my own/ living each day with a tear in my eye/ berating the heavens for my failure to try/ where's this god that made me from dust's sacred bone/ I'm sick of seeing and I'm sick of smelling/ the same old things day after day/ can't be me again/ can't break free again/ I'll find my own worldsong to play/..."_

* * *

Sakuramoto Kitsune, the American who had run to Japan on a whim, was fast asleep in her oversized bed, nestled beneath the white down comforter as if she were a tiny kitten snuggling with its mother. Her delicious dream of being next to Toya (from _Ayashi no Ceres_) was slowly fading away as the tune to her best friend's daughter's song slipped into her mind. It was very similar to Ani DiFranco's _Serpentine_, but Kitsune immediately knew the difference. 

_You're back, she thought as she roused herself._

"Might as well get up and make breakfast then, huh, Shadow?" she murmured, looking down into the bright eyes of her Siamese cat who, like his name, had appeared at her side.

Kitsune smiled and stretched back, loosening the vertebrae in her spine before going over to her closet and picking out her day's wear.

* * *

The girl Hatori had dropped off had finished dressing and was striding into the kitchen, following the tantalizing aroma of buttermilk pancakes and freshly brewed Arabian coffee that wafted from within. 

"Ohayo, Shadow," she said, taking a moment to bend down and stroke the cat's ears. "Ohayo gosaimasu, Kitsune-san."

"Ohayo gosaimasu, Yue-kun," Kitsune said, throwing a quick smile to the girl as she cooked. "Find anything interesting during the three days you disappeared?"

Yue smiled at her guardian. "I found out...well, I think I found out where Sohma Yuki lives."

Kitsune placed two plates down on the table, along with two ceramic MegaTokyo mugs.

"So, part one of you mission is complete, ne?" she inquired, going back to the stove in order to ensure that there wouldn't be any charcoal hotcakes consumed.

"Not really," Yue sighed, getting up to help. "I still haven't spoken to him yet."

"Doesn't he go to the school you transferred to? The boy's school down the street?"

"Nup. He goes to the co-ed school. I could tell by the uniform."

Kitsune's blue eyes fastened onto the girl's chocolate ones.

"Do you need another transfer, then, Yue?" she asked.

"It's alright," Yue said, setting the steaming coffee pot onto the table while Kitsune brought the pancakes over.

"I'm actually having quite a bit of fun," she added mischievously.

Kistune laughed airily and took her seat.

"You're just like your mom," she said.

Yue grinned and took her seat as well. The two then said grace (more out of habit than anything else) and enjoyed their meal, reminiscing about old times and laughing at poor Shadow who, in a sudden fit of feline craziness, attacked the legs of a vacant chair, causing it to topple over and send the cat speeding from the room.

Once breakfast was finished, Kitsune stood and told Yue to hurry to school; she'd take care of the dishes.

"Ja ne!" Yue shouted, yanking her hair back into a ponytail and jettisoning herself out the door.

_Just like her mom, Kitsune thought, scrubbing the dishes. _

* * *

Sohma Akito stared out of the open door at his gardens, thinking wistfully of a time long passed. 

"It seems as though Yuki is feeling a bit better," Sohma Shigure said from behind him.

"Is he now," Akito murmured, turning his head to look disdainfully at the dog. "Am I supposed to be pleased?"

Shigure shrugged. "I don't expect you to be pleased about much of anything anymore, Akito-san," he said, leaning back against the wall.

"You don't appreciate me then, Shigure," Akito said. "You're still bitter about Kureno, aren't you?"

Shigure was silent.

Akito looked bored. "Tell Hatori to come and conduct his checkup. I have better things to do with my time than wait for him," he spat.

_I'm sure you do, Shigure thought bitterly, before rising to leave. _

* * *

Shigure's P.O.V.

I don't think Akito really gets it. I tried showing him a long time ago, but I doubt he understands. Hatori might know, but Akito and Ayame? They're completely oblivious about how I truly feel. It's very frustrating, trying to let the most important person in your life know how you feel without words.

But it's even more frustrating to try and find the right thing to say.

It was quite heartening to see Yuki come out of his room and spend time with Kyo and Tohru-kun this morning. I could tell that it meant a lot to Yuki, too.

Ah, here I am, thinking of my life dilemmas when Mi-chan is on her way over.

I should be making my escape.

The manuscript is, of course, completed, and the official due date is not until next month, but my editor is apparently convinced that I need some sort of supervision so that I won't be late.

It's a shame I didn't tell her that is was complete, isn't it?

I wonder if Kureno is ever coming back. He left some time ago-- long before Tohru-kun ever came into our lives-- after seeing Akito about something. I have no idea as to what happened that day; all I know is that Kureno hasn't been back since.

I wonder when Akito will discover the relationship between Tohru-kun and Kyo, too.

END Shigure's P.O.V.

A slight knock on the door of Shigure's study makes him turn. His thoughtful expression softens and he smiles when he sees who is standing in the doorway.

"Ah, Rin," he says. "Come on in."

**A/N: Ah, yes, that chapter was the most confusing thing I've ever written for this fic, aside from those 2-paragraph fillers I posted. Like I said earlier, I do apologize for the short chapters, but it's getting incredibly hard to think of new chapters. I'll try to keep it going as long as I can though, but no promises, okay? -bows- Gomen nasai! Don't kill me...Chapter 22 should be up before I leave for NY next week, but if it's not, I will post it upon my return, which will beAugust 6th or 7th. Please don't forget to review!**

**Until next time,  
Tsukishiro Ayame**


	22. Memory

**A/N: Okay, this chapter is really short, I do apologize, but I'm stressed and trying to get everything together for my departure on Wednesday. I was considering not posting tonight since the chapter isn't as long as I had originally intended it to be, but I told you I'd post, so...yeah. I wanted to keep my word and post. Also, let it be known to EVERYONE that I DO NOT gather ideas and circumstances from the anime series for _Fruits Basket._ Therefore, Person-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless-For-The-Sake-Of-Being-Nice-and-Respecting-The-Reviews, my story cannot be stupid because of my "taking everything from the show." Select chapters are based somewhat on various adult erotica that I have read, the personalities of the characters are based wholly on the manga written by the goddess herself, Natsuki Takaya-sensei, and my storyline is based ENTIRELY on whatever it is that pops into my head and comes out as a chapter. So, when you reckon that my story is stupid, try accusing me of something other than watching the anime too much and basing everything off of it. Especially when I've only seen the anime once. :P -nyah- Okay. Rant's over, on with the story. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Fruits Basket, _aka _Furuba. _All credit goes to the illustrious Natsuki Takaya-sensei, who is much more talented than I ever will be and (in my humble opinion) belongs in a manga Hall of Fame alongside Akamatsu Ken and the four awesome individuals that make up CLAMP. **

**WARNING: Rated for language, sexual content, and other stuff that may not be suited for those under the age of 16. **

**Chapter 22- Memory**

Sohmas Yuki and Kyo were walking home from school, alongside Honda Tohru, when a boy with long, dark hair that was pulled back into a messy ponytail darted in front of the trio from the opposite side of the street.  
"WHAT THE HELL!" Kyo shouted, raising his fists and crouching into a fighting stance the moment he'd realized what had happened.

"Konnichiwa gosaimasu to you, too, Sohma Kyo-kun," the boy said, with a voice that sounded very much like a girl's. "Konnichiwa gosaimasu, Sohma Yuki-kun," he continued, bowing low before the silver-haired teen. "It's been a very long time since I last saw you." It was then that he seemed to notice Tohru, who had been gaping at him since he'd arrived. "And you must be Honda Tohru," he said, bending low and smiling into the girl's wide eyes. "Such a pleasure to meet you."

"K-k-ko-konnichiwa gosaimasu!" Tohru sputtered, bowing.

The boy simply smiled again and turned his attention back to Yuki. "Such a very long time it's been," he said lightly, as if it were the weather the two were discussing. "It seems like it was only yesterday that dear Hatori altered my memory."

Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru all stared at the stranger in shock.

"What do you mean, 'altered your memory?'" Yuki said, mistrust and fear evident in his violet eyes. "Who are you?"

Kyo, still wide-eyed, said nothing, but quickly grabbed Tohru's hand and pulled her closer to himself.  
"Of course, of course. Ten years certainly do make one unrecognizable, don't they? Well, let me re-introduce myself. I am Yue."  
_Yue! _Yuki's mind was shouting. The name had suddenly sparked so many memories, so many days of laughter and joy until the moment she had hugged him and his terrible secret had been revealed. It had been quite a task for Sohma Hatori to erase everyone's memories.

"Yue," Yuki whispered.

"Yue? Weren't you...you're the one...but..." Kyo was trying very hard to figure it all out.

"But I'm a girl, right?" Yue finished, smiling. "Silly Kyo, you're even easier to fool than those guys I go to school with!"   
With a flourish, Yue pulled the band that secured her hair loose and let it fall in shimmering waves about her shoulders.  
"Yue," Yuki whispered again. "How did you possibly remember...?"  
"Let us go," Yue said with a smile, "to the house of the one that gave me back my memory. I think that she can answer your question much better than I."

**A/N: Yeah, like I said. Short chapter. But I'll be back soon. I like writing about Yue (for reasons soon to be known), and I've just got the most brilliant idea for what I want her to do in this fic. See you all on the 10th of August!**

**Tsukishiro Ayame**


	23. Katsuri

**A/N: Konyanyachiwa, Minna-sama! O-genki desu ka? Watashi wa genki desu. It's been such a long time since I last updated, ne? I'm actually a few pages short of where I wanted to be with this chapter, but I guess this will do for now. Thanks so much for you patience and support of this fanfic, and I do hope you enjoy _Chapter 23: Katsuri. _Oh, and Koi-kun? Even though I said I was using your real name, I changed it. Don't be too mad at me for naming you after Hyde-sama. grins _Moon Child _forever!  
****DISCLAIMER: cries I can't have Miko, and now I can't have _Furuba _either? What a cold, cold, cruel world! sniffle (_Fruits Basket, _aka _Furuba _is the property of Natsuki Takaya-sensei.)  
****WARNING: The presence of lemons, limes, and other forms of sexual content is very likely in this particular fanfic. Rated M (R). **

**Chapter 23: Katsuri**

Sohma Yuki, Sohma Kyo, and Honda Tohru all sat, squashed together on a tiny loveseat, in Sakuramoto Kitsune's living room as their hosts poured them tea.

"I'm sorry about the cramped conditions," Yue said blushing slightly as she handed Yuki his cup. "Normally it's just me, Kitsune-san and Shadow, so..."

"Shadow?" Kyo asked, stroking the Siamese that had perched himself in Tohru's lap.

"The cat you're petting. "What, you thought his name was Buyo? Or Kyo, perhaps?" Yue smirked.

"So, you can restore memories, Sakuramoto-san?" Yuki inquired of the blonde.

Kitsune nodded and sat down on her creamy white chaise. "Yue's mother and I were always dabbling in and out of metaphysics and the like when we were younger. Of course, my powers were still dormant then, but Ayame had developed hers by the time she reached the seventh grade." She paused to sip at her tea. "She knew her daughter's fate before Yue had even been conceived. She also knew that I would play an important role in the completion of that fate."

"You were to restore her memory and bring her back to Japan," Yuki whispered. Kyo and Tohru had gone to the kitchen with Yue, leaving Kitsune and Yuki alone.

"Yes," Kitsune said. "I was...am...the one destined to restore Yue's memory and help her to find the one she is destined to be with."

Yuki's amethyst eyes widened. "You mean that...the one Yue-chan is destined for is..."

"Ayame," Yue said, stepping back into the room. "The one I belong to, according to the stars, is the Sohma that shares the name of the Mooncastle Seer. That would be my mother, Tsukishiro Ayame." Not once did Yue's voice drop or waver.

"I know it's a bit...unfortunate," Kitsune said, seeing the (somewhat) crestfallen expression the rat's face. "But there is someone in the stars for you, as well."

* * *

Sohma Shigure was a bit confused at the solemn auras that accompanied his three dependants as they walked through the door, but he decided not to say anything concerning the matter. Instead, he rushed out of his study and began to badger Tohru about how hungry he was. 

"I'll make dinner right away, Shigure-san," Tohru mumbled, scurrying in to the kitchen.

"I'll help," Kyo said uncharacteristically, rushing behind her.

Shigure was really worried now. "Yuki," he said softly, "what happened?"

Yuki simply shuffled upstairs without a word.

"Yuki," Shigure called. "Hatsuharu was looking for you earlier. He told me to tell you that he's sorry."

All that could be heard from the top of the darkened staircase was a short bark of laughter and the slamming of Yuki's bedroom door.

"Do you think Yuki-kun will be all right," Tohru asked, slicing onions, "now that he knows Yue-chan wasn't looking for him?"

"I doubt it bothered him to start with," Kyo replied, scaling a particularly large salmon. "I think her being destined for his brother is bothering him more than anything. They were really close friends before the...incident."

"But I thought Ayame-san and Yuki-kun were started to get along," Tohru said, missing Kyo's point completely.

Kyo looked over at the brunette and laughed. "The only reason that damn rat even tried to get along with his brother was for your sake, Tohru. He confessed his love for you too, remember?" The last sentence had come out bitter and sharp, and Kyo regretted saying it the moment his words hit the air.

"Forget I said anything," the cat mumbled, shoving the fish into a casserole dish before stalking out of the

* * *

"Sohma Yuki, Sohma Hatori, and Sohma Ayame," Yue whispered to her unseen ceiling. The room was pitch black , and no one else in the house was stirring. "Okaa-sama said there were to be twelve of them in all, not counting Kyo, who is the outcast of the Zodiac." 

Yue rolled over and stared at the small statuette she had, depicting God and the animals, all sitting down to their feast.

"What animal are you, Ayame-sama?" she murmured, before closing her eyes and drifting to the shores of dreamland.

* * *

Tsukishiro Ayame, mother of Yue and the one known as the Mooncastle Seer, sat up in her bed, a terrible realization resonating throughout her mind. Throwing the heavy blue covers onto the floor, Ayame leapt from the bed and began throwing books into bags and suits into garment bags. 

"Eurgh, whatsgoingon?" a muffled voice murmured from beneath the single sheet that remained on the bed.

"Ah, Koi-kun, ohayo," Ayame said, smiling. "Get dressed, we're leaving."

Kei seemed to wake up then, but not happily.

"_Leaving_?" he said incredulously. "Where on earth would we be going?"

Ayame turned and gave him her famous "you're-such-an-idiot-for-no-particular-reason" look. "Kei, dear, we're going to Japan, where our daughter is."

"Really," he said. "What brought this on? I thought you said that we weren't allowed to intervene..."

Ayame sighed. " I screwed up. Now go shower while I pack the rest of our things and wake the twins."

* * *

"Gehhhhh," Yue mumbled, staggering into the classroom. "Gehhh..." 

"Oi, Katsuri! You seem a bit out of it today," her classmate, Morii Nakatsu yelled, laughing.

"Shut it, Nakatsu," Yue snapped, slightly irritated at Kitsune for registering her under the name Katsuri Yue, using her middle in place of her real surname.

_Grr, stupid Ayame._ Yue thought. The man had haunted her dreams all through the night, faceless and untouchable. _I have to meet you soon, so I can put an image to the shadow that I'm supposed to someday marry._

"Katsuri!"

Yue picked her head up off the desk and looked into the blue eyes of Takano Kyohei.

"Ohayo, Kyohei-kun," Yue said, suddenly wishing that Sohma Ayame didn't exist at all.

"Ohayo, Yue," Kyohei smiled, sliding into his seat, which was, coincidentally, right next to hers.

Kyohei was the most gorgeous boy at Dahei High. He looked an awful lot like Kamui Gackt, the famous Japanese rock star, with golden brown hair and flawless skin. His fingers were always adorned with a multitude of silver rings, and he was the only one who get out of trouble with the teachers by simply smiling.

_He's so cool, Yue thought, watching Kyohei lean back in his seat and settle down for his morning nap. _

"If only there was a way to change destiny, eh?" Kyohei mumbled, a smirk playing along his perfect lips.

Yue sat frozen in her seat, not trusting herself to speak.

* * *

"You saw it wrong?" Kitsune seethed. "How on earth could that happen?" 

"Calm down, Kitsune-chan," Tsukishiro Ayame said. "Even I can make mistakes with my Sight..."

"Mistakes? You gave Yue Takako's fate!"

" I assumed it was Yue since she was the first born! How was I supposed to know that Yue was only to connect us to the Sohmas and that Takako was going to assist the Hon-"

"You've always messed up by assuming, Ayame," Kitsune hissed. "I've restored the memory to a girl who didn't need to remember!"

"She did need to remember! How else would this family even know of the Sohmas? Yue is the only one they've met! She's the one who will introduce Ayame and Takako to each other!" Ayame huffed, her temper getting the best of her.

"Then Yue belongs to Yuki, right? 'The daughter shall join the Sohma with the name of the Mooncastle Seer and her sister shall join hands with the brother,' right?" Kitsune said, quoting the prophecy Ayame had told her years before.

"I don't know," Ayame mumbled, sinking into a chair. "I saw my error in dream, but it only told me that Takako is the one that will be with Sohma Ayame, and she will play a big role in whether it is Yue or Midori that joins hands with Yuki." Ayame paused then. "But I don't think I'll tell any of them."

Kitsune whipped her head in Ayame's direction, her blue eyes wide. "Why the hell not?"

Ayame smiled sadly. "Because the prophecy is to be fulfilled, from here on out, by the hearts and minds of my children alone."

* * *

It really wasn't fair. First Tohru ends up with Kyo, then Sohma Hatsuharu sleeps with Sohma Akito, and how his brother was the one who would end up marrying his childhood friend... 

"I hate this!" Yuki shouted, throwing his pillows, one after the other, across the room. "Why can't anything ever go right for me? Why does everything always have to fall apart?"

"Because you always let it fall apart," Sohma Hatsuharu said, stepping into the room. "If you didn't get worked up so easily, it'd make things, your life, for instance, much simpler."

"Don't you know how to knock," Yuki said, not sure whether to apologize to the cow like he had planned to or remain furious at his lot in life.

"I just came to apologize for what happened with me and Akito," Hatsuharu said, turning to leave. "Maybe I came at a bad time..."

"Wait," Yuki said suddenly. "Wait, don't go. I'm..I'm sorry, too."

Hatsuharu froze in the doorway.

"I'm sorry for not explaining everything properly in the very beginning," Yuki elaborated. "I should have told you what I wanted in the very beginning. Gomen..."

"It's okay, Yuki," Hatsuharu sighed. "We both made some mistakes. But there is one thing I need to ask you."

"Nani?"

"What _do_ you want?"

Yuki smiled sadly. "A friend," he whispered. " Just a very good friend."

Hatsuharu sat on the floor. "Where's the sign-up sheet?" he asked, thumbing an old copy of TIME.

"Sign-up sheet?" Yuki repeated, confused as ever.

The ox rolled his eyes and smiled. "The one where I sign up to be your friend, goon," he said, scanning over an article about Karl Rove.

Yuki was stunned for a moment, but then gave the ox a very happy, and very genuine, smile.

* * *

"Oi, Katsuri. Wake up dude. Homeroom's over." 

Nakatsu prodded Yue's side until she finally stirred. "Ungh," she mumbled, stretching in her seat. "Whaddayawant, Nakadzu?"

"Aren't you coming with me and Kyohei to Club Pleasure?" Those chicks we met last week are gonna be there," Nakatsu said, already thinking of the blonde American girl and the many ways he'd make her...um...

"I think I'll have to pass on that one," Yue said quickly. _That's the only thing about I hate about having to pose as a boy; I can't do anything with Kyohei-kun because it always involves girls!_

"Actually, I have to cancel out, too, Nakatsu," Kyohei murmured, his eyes shut s he leaned his chair so far back on would expect him to land head-first on the floor.

Both Yue and Nakatsu looked over at him in shock.

"What, I've got stuff to do," Kyohei defended, cracking one eye to look at the two. "I have an appointment with a certain somebody."

"Way to go Kyohei!" Nakatsu shouted, patting the rock star look-a-like on the back. "It's that Korean chick, Tae Nim Oh, isn't it?"

"Actu-" Kyohei was cut short as Yue stood up and stalked out of the room, her head bowed.

"What's up with him?" Nakatsu asked.

Kyohei stared at Yue's fleeting back as she darted down the hall.

_Were those tears?_ he wondered.

* * *

Sohma Kisa looked down at her hands and wondered, for the umpteenth time that day, when Sohma Hiro would be there. The poor tigress was still being held in the hospital on Doctor Shiro Kamui's orders, and two days had passed since Hiro had confessed his love to her. 

_Hiro, _she thought, blushing at the memory._ I have to tell you..._

Kisa had spent the past fifty-two hours doing nothing but thinking of Hiro and how she truly felt about him. Even when Tohru had come by with Kyo earlier that afternoon, all the tigress could think about was the brown-haired ram of the Zodiac.

_You told me to tell you,_ Kisa thought glancing out the window at the street below_. I have to tell you I..._

"Kisa-chan?" Kamui's voice sounded muffled behind the closed door. "Someone is here to see you."

_Hiro?_ Kisa thought, sitting up and staring anxiously at the opening door.

"Hello, Kisa. Surprised to see me?"

"Akito-san," Kisa said, her hands gripping the sheets so hard her knuckles turned white.

* * *

For the third day in a row, Sohma Hatori found himself on Sakuramoto Kitsune's street, staring up at the big, blue house in which she lived. 

_What is it that draws me to this place?_ he wondered, watching two identical girls playing in the yard, tussling like boys.

"Takako! Ow! That hurt!" one cried, as her sister yanked on her ponytail.

"Aw, Midori, you're no fun anymore!"

"We're sixteen, Takako. Sixteen year-olds don't play around like little kids!" Midori cried.

"Says who?" Takako challenged.

"Ahem."

Both girls turned and looked at Hatori, who was standing in the driveway, looking highly uncomfortable.

"Is Yue-san here, by any chance?" he asked, not looking either of the girls in the eye.

"Nup," Takako said, shaking her head. "She hasn't come home from school yet. But Mom and Dad are inside, if you want to talk to them. Kitsune-san, too."

Hatori thanked the girls and proceeded toward the door, all the while feeling a stronger and stronger pull to the people within.

* * *

Sohma Ritsu hadn't been to Shigure's house in quite some time and, as it wasn't too far from the hospital Kisa was in, he decided to pay the eccentric author a visit after seeing how Kisa was faring. 

"A-a-ah, I-I'm here t-to see S-S-Sohma K-Kisa," the monkey stammered, as the receptionist looked at him with endlessly green eyes.

"Sohma," Kinomoto Sakura repeated. "Let's see...she's in room 42E, to the left."

"Arigatou gosaimasu," Ritsu said, scampering away.

"Kisa -chan," he said, poking his head around the door. "I --ah! G-gomen Na Saiiiiii! Akito-san, Go-men-na-sa-iiiiiiiii!"

Akito looked disdainfully at he monkey and twitched as though he were going to strike Ritsu across the face, but seemed to think better of it and gave Ritsu a very strained "that's quite alright, I was just on my way out," along with a smile that was much more like a grimace.

**A/N: Aaaaannnnd, that's the end of Chapter 23. Chapter 24 should be up VERY soon! Don't forget to review!  
****Oh, and there's a bit of a last-minute note:**

**1. Kinomoto Sakura is the property of CLAMP, from _Card Captor Sakura _and _Tsubasa: Resevoir Chronicle._**

**2. Takano Kyohei is from _The Wallflower, _by someone who's name I can't remember.**

**Until next time,  
Tsukishiro Ayame **


	24. Changing Destiny

**A/N: Konnichiwa gosaimasu, Minna-sama! O-genki desui ka? I must apologise for the exceedingly long update time, as I meant to update last month but never actually got around to writing the newest chapter. -myeh- Anyhow, thank you to Raven-chan for still keeping in contact with me, and thank you to all those who read and reviewed this story during my absence. This chapter is a special one, as it is the first chapter I am writing on my new HP Laptop, and it is (more than likely) the ONLY chapter I will be presenting to you from Port Angeles, Washington. I'm supposed to be on vacation up here, but I decided to do some work since I've neglected you all for soo long and since Mitch has decided to take over the Playstation. Again. Well, enough of my ramblings. On with Chapter 24!**

**DISCLAIMER: The main characters in this story (all the Sohmas) are property of Natsuki Takaya-sensei, as well as the whole of _Fruits Basket _aka _Furuba. _**

**WARNING: This fanfic has been rated M for the presence of lemons, limes, toasted coconut marshmallows, and language. **

**Chapter 24: Changing Destiny**

_"As DISGAEA plays in the background, my mind wraps around the tales of a twisted youth, a twisted fate, and the secrets to change destiny."_

_- Tsukishiro Ayame Ryine_

Sohma Ritsu stood in the doorway of Sohma Kisa's hospital room, wondering whether the young tigress required comfort he could not give, or something more.

"Kisa-chan," the monkey murmured, trying to think of a way to make Kisa smile and erase the expression of terror that had cast itself over the golden-haired girl's face.

"Hai, Rit-chan?"

"Ah...Did Akito-sama..ahm...D-do you w-want to um..."

At that same moment, Sohma Hiro walked through the door, sliding himself into the small room.  
"Kisa..."

Kisa looked at the ram with her beautiful gold eyes and it seemed as though all confusion and fear had erased itself from the face of the earth. All that was evident on the tigress' face was her love for the brown haired boy that had come in to see her.

"Hiro...ano..." Kisa stumbled over her words, knowing what she wanted to tell the ram, but Akito's words echoed in her mind:  
_I will destory everyone you hold dear if you ever tell Hiro you love him._

"Kisa," Hiro said, noticing the cloud of fear that had suddenly washed back over his loved one's face. "What is it?"

Kisa bowed her head as a single tear fell and Sohma Ritsu, for the first time in his life, knew precisely what he had to do, and was unafraid.

* * *

A knock on the door to Sakuramoto Kitsune's house startled its occupants, and Takano Kyohei and his mentor, Tsukishiro Ayame, scurried off to a back room where they could continue their discussion without interruption. Kei, however, remained seated as Kitsune opened the door and welcomed Sohma Hatori into her home.

"Sohma Hatori-san," Kitsune purred, noting the doctor's lean physique and charcoal black eyes. "Who should I thank for this kind visit?"

"Thank Yue, as she was the one who first brought my attention to this place," the dragon plainly stated, taking a look at the normal-seeming house and the young man seated on the couch. "I cannot help but think that you are more than just American guests to Nippon," he continued. "The auras that radiate from within this house are..."

"Sister to your own?" Kistune interjected with a smile. "If that is what you are thinking, then you are correct. I am Sakuramoto Kitsune, and the man on the couch is my friend's husband, Kei. The one you should talk to for the moment, however, is seated in the back room with a student. Please, take a seat and I will go and see if she can make time to speak with you now."

* * *

"I can't tell you more than you already know, Kyohei," Tsukishiro Ayame stated, all the while wishing she could tell the handsome young man everything she knew about her daughter's and their fates.

"But I don't know much of anything when it comes to this sort of issue, Tsuksihiro-sensei! I just...I can't help but think that my destiny and Yue's are somehow intertwined. I can feel it, but I can also tell that she is part of the Sohma destiny..." Takano Kyohei ground out, his irritation obvious. "I have seen your family tied to the Sohmas, but my Sight is not clear on how the fates are tied."

"That is the way things are," Ayame said. "The Sight takes time to develop, and even I cannot see everything."

"But my feelings for Yue...I know they can be returned if only there was a way to change destiny! And I know she would be happy if such a thing were possible," Kyohei coninued.

At his words, the Mooncastle Seer began to see the beginning of a new and exciting development.

"Ah," she murmured softly, "Kyohei-kun, I do believe you have shown us all a way to unravel the threads of a fantastic tapestry."

Kyohei opened his mouth the question the dark-haired woman's riddle, but Kitsune chose that very moment to pop in and request Ayame's presence in the living room.

"It seems that another piece of the Sohma puzzle has arrived for enlightenment, Ayame."

* * *

Outside, Takako and Midori, daughters of Tsukishiro Ayame and the younger sisters of Yue, stood staring at a gorgeous, silver-haired man as he strode down the street, a song rising from his throat and captivating the young ladies.

"He's good-looking, isn't he?" Takako inquired of her twin.

"He's not drop-dead gorgeous, but he doesn't look bad either," the other replied, growing bored and turning to gaze at a swallowtail.

"The way his hair shimmers in the sunlight...it's as if he has thousands of tiny dewdrops in his mane," Takako continued. "I wonder who he is."

* * *

Sohma Ayame was walking through a neighborhood that was new to him, but nonetheless on the way to Sohma Shigure's house, where his younger brother, Yuki lived.

_I wonder what Yuki is up to, _he thought. _It's been a while since I last went to visit him, and what with all that went on between him and Haru, he should be quite pleased to see me. This will be the perfect time for me to 'close the rift' as Tohru-chan so nicely put it.  
_  
The snake continued to walk down the street, and a song started to bubble up from the depths of his mind and he began to sing as he strolled, only pausing to notice a young brunette turn away and join another in the chase of a butterfly once he reached the end of the street.

_What a pretty pair of girls, _he stated mentally, taking into account that one of the twins actually captivated him a bit more than the other.

* * *

**A/N: And that's the end of this strange and slightly off-kilter chapter. I really do have to get back into the swing of things...Please, don't forget to review!  
Untilnext time,  
****Tsukishiro Ayame**


	25. Make You Mine

-1**A/N: Well! It's been ages since I last did this, but your reviews were sooo nice that I decided to start working on Chapter 25 already, and it hasn't even been a full 24 hours since I last posted! Now don't you all feel special?  
DISCLAIMER: _Fruits Basket _aka_ Furuba_ is the property of Natsuki Takaya-sensei, and I have no hope whatsoever of buying it from her. **

**WARNING: The best apple juice on earth is made from Tree Top apples, Florida Orange Juice will help you on your way to a healthy heart, and this fanfic has been rated M for lemons, limes, and banana pudding. Proceed with extreme caution! **

**Chapter 25: Make You Mine**

At the beautiful hour of 1:45 in the morning, Tokyo Standard Time, Tsukishiro Ayame sat in front of her computer, watching as thousands of multicoloured petals shimmied their way down the screen, their code a magical wonder.

"Hmm, that's something I never thought of," Ayame mumbled, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Looks like Kyohei-kun really does have some sense in that rock-star wannabe head of his."

"...And just when are you coming to bed again?" Kei, her husband, asked. "You've been staring at the codes on that screen for the past six hours now, and I still don't have a damned clue as to what on earth you're supposed to be doing with it."

"It's only because you never listened when I tried to tell you what all the different types and colors of the petals meant," Ayame retorted. "It was all just some 'psychic talk,' remember? You wouldn't even listen when Kitsune-chan tried to teach it to you!"

"That's because it _is_ a bunch of psychic talk," Kei mumbled, pulling the covers over his head and trying to ignore the bright light of the computer monitor.

"You know he's right," Sakuramoto Kitsune sang as she danced her way into the room. "It's just a bunch of psychic talk because only people like you, me, and Takano-kun can understand it. Normal people? Come on, hun, it just goes _whooosh! _right over their heads."

Ayame laughed at her best friend's antics and beckoned her over to the monitor. "Well, let's see what you think of the plan Mr. Takano came up with here."

After a moment of deciphering and reading, Kitsune couldn't help but want to give the teen the "Sakuramoto Seal of Approval."

"Looks like the kid really does have something going on there," the blonde stated at long last.

"Indeed he does," her brunette friend said. "Indeed he does."

* * *

Sohma Hatori sat in his room, not at all tired, thinking about the words he had heard from the one Sakuramoto Kitsune had referred to as the Mooncastle Seer. It seemed impossible to him that a person could exist only to fulfil a fate set before them by the heavens. It was even more incredulous (in the dragon's mind) that a person such as Sakuramoto Kitsune could exist. His ability to alter the memories of other's was a gift he had always assumed to be unique. Now, this American woman had come inside of Hatori's reality and it threw everything he knew to be fact off-kilter.

_Next, someone is going to tell me that Ritsu isn't really all that shy, that his timid behaviour is just a front hiding a stronger, more independent personality. _

The appearance of Yue and her childhood connection to the Sohma family had already caused Hatori a fair amount of worry, but now there was even more to think about. Somehow, that girl's family was vital to breaking the Sohma curse, but it irritated the dragon to no end that he did not know why. Honda Tohru had always been the one that the Sohma family tried to find answers in.

_Things are just getting stranger and stranger as time wears on,_ Hatori thought as he rose to go outside. The poor doctor was badly in need of a cigarette.

* * *

On the moonlit roof of an otherwise sleeping house, Sohma Kyo and Honda Tohru sat, gazing up at the twinkling stars.

"Kyo-kun," Tohru whispered, "Do you believe that angels look down on us from the heavens?"

Kyo shifted uncomfortably. "Dunno," he said, yawning. "I used to, when I was a kid, but I haven't thought about it in a really long time."

Tohru stared up at the sky, the starlight reflecting beautifully off her chocolate brown eyes.

"I wonder if Hana-chan and Uo-chan would like to go on a picnic tomorrow."

Kyo started and looked over at the sandy-haired girl he called his own.

"What on earth made you think of that?"

"Well," Tohru mumbled, "Okaa-san and used to take us all on picnics a lot before the accident. Then it was just me, Hana-chan, and Uo-chan. But I'm not complaining or anything," she rushed out. " It was always nice to have such good friends, and I'm so grateful that they are still here and care about me so much."

Kyo nodded, and gave Tohru one of his rare smiles.

"But no one cares about you as much as I do," he said, the words coming out before he had really processed what he was saying.

Tohru looked at the cat for a moment, the shock evident on her face.

"Um," Kyo started, blushing red, "I uh...what I meant to say was that..."

But what he meant to say was never to be known, as Tohru took a bold move and sealed the cat's lips with an earth-shattering kiss.

* * *

As he lay sleepless in bed, Sohma Ayame couldn't help but think of the young, dark-haired girl he had passed on his way to Sohma Shigure's house. With hair like a raven's wing and features that burned themselves onto the very fabric of Ayame's mind, she was irresistibly beautiful. Ayame couldn't help but think of her as he stared at the moonlight doppled ceiling.

_Alas, she probably has no interest or thought of me at all, _the snake thought, turning over to stare out the window. _The name Sohma Ayame means nothing to her at all.  
_

Oh, how very wrong he was.

* * *

As her sister Yue had done before, Takako lay in bed, dreaming of the snake, not knowing his name, but only seeing that handsome face surrounded by a gorgeous mane of shimmering silver hair. Her mind had been consumed with thoughts of him since that afternoon, when she had seen him strolling down the street. His voice rang loud and clear in her mind, the sound of it as soothing as Ranna's bells to her dreams. Takako slept comfortably as rose petals and wedding bells accompanied her vision and she saw herself walking down the aisle, arm-in-arm with the striking stranger, and her twin followed, arm-in-arm with a violet eyed teen.

**A/N: And there you have it folks, a brand new chapter! We can see the threads of the tapestry now, can't we? Stay tuned to see what happens next!  
Tsukishiro Ayame**


	26. Martinez

-1**A/N: Well, it's another day and we're heading into another chapter full of words, events, and the most wonderful characters on the planet, ne? Thanks to everyone who has keep reading this fanfic, and thank you to the super-nice individuals that review. It really does mean a lot to me, guys. **

**DISCLAIMER: _Fruits Basket _is the property of Natsuki Takaya-sensei, and I must admit that the Sohmas are in much better hands that way. **

**WARNING: Rated M for Zippo fluid, mature content, and the occasional chocolate chip cookie.**

_**Dedicated to one of my most faithful readers, and a good friend, Raven-chan.**_

**Chapter 26: Martinez**

Yue awoke to see the first of many raindrops slip along her window. The skies were a moonbeam grey, and the droplets of rain looked like tiny crystals when the stray beams of faded sunlight hit them.

"I wonder what school will be like today," Yue thought aloud, remembering the pain she felt in her heart when she heard that Takano Kyohei had an appointment with a "certain somebody."

"It probably was that Korean chick, Tae Nim Oh," she sighed. "They really did hit it off, from what Nakatsu had told me."

Rising to go and take her morning shower, Yue was in the lowest of spirits.

* * *

Takako had also awoken to see raindrops outside of her window, but her spirit was the polar opposite of her older sister. She had spent the night dreaming only of the silver-haired stranger she had seen the day before, and her dreams had told her many exciting and wonderful things.

"Midori, do you know anyone with hair the colour of a Jones bottle cap and eyes like lavender petals?" she inquired of the lump that lay beneath lime green bed sheets.  
"No," came the muffled response. "I've no (myuh) idea what you're getting at, either," her twin replied, emerging. "The only grey-haired people I know are Grandmere and Ojii-chan."**  
**Takako smiled at the raindrops and rose to dress herself.  
"Well, you might get to know one, someday," she whispered. In a louder voice, she told Midori about the dream she had had.

* * *

Tsukishiro Ayame had spent most of her night in front of the computer, reading the flower petal messages that Takano Kyohei had sent her. The details they contained about the Gackt look-a-like's plans to change the destiny that had been given to Yue fit perfectly with the destinies of Ayame's other two daughters, Takako and Midori.

Now the Mooncastle Seer slept peacefully, visions of an outdoor wedding where Takako walked hand-in-hand with Sohma Ayame as Midori and Sohma Yuki danced to the music of a fabulous orchestra swimming through her mind.

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!" Sakuramoto Kitsune sang, interrupting Ayame's dream and jolting Kei into consciousness.  
"Eurgh, what time is it?" Ayame grumbled, removing the covers and slipping her feet into a pair of red Chinese silk house shoes.

"Time for you to get up and help me make breakfast for all your kids," Kitsune replied, tossing her luscious blonde hair behind her shoulders.

* * *

Outside, Shadow was clawing at the door to be let in from the rain when a man with charcoal eyes and hair the color of obsidian came up behind him and gave the door a striking rapport.  
"Coming, I'm coming, " a female voice from within answered.

Sohma Shigure felt quite out of place on the street where Sakuramoto Kitsune lived, but after hearing what Hatori had told him earlier that morning, he couldn't help but be curious about these people.  
"Ah, you must be another one of the Sohmas," Kitsune said, opening the heavy door. "Please, come in out of the rain. Ayame and I were just making breakfast."

"I thank you for your hospitality," Shigure replied, a bit stiffly. "But I'm not here for a casual visit; I'm here because I heard that there was someone living here who knew the Sohma secret."

Kitsune laughed lightly and ushered the dog in.

"Well, there's more than just one somebody, my dear Shigure-san," she said. "Take a seat in the kitchen, and Ayame will be down shortly to fill you in, as she did Hatori-san before you."

* * *

Honda Tohru had sent the household into a bit of a panic when she had went downstairs to start breakfast and found Sohma Shigure gone. Sohmas Kyo and Yuki had been a little bit more than startled to hear her scrambling about the house, shouting for Shigure when they had begun to descend the stairs.

"Tohru," Kyo muttered, coming into the kitchen, "what on earth are you doing?"

"Shigure-san is gone!" Tohru cried, her face a perfect picture of panic and worry.

"He left us note here, Tohru-chan," Yuki stated, pointing to the fluttering piece of paper attached to the refrigerator. "It says that he went out for a bit and that he'll see us when we get home from school," the rat continued.

"Oh," Tohru mumbled. "I guess we can go ahead and eat breakfast, then."

Yuki simply smiled and the sandy-haired girl and took his seat at the table as Kyo rolled his eyes and headed for the fridge to get some milk.

* * *

Takano Kyohei took his seat as Morii Nakatsu walked into the room, deeply in conversation with the one that Kyohei had spent most his evening thinking of.

"Well, you see, my mom is a Forensic Technician in New York City, and my dad is a minister at our church," Yue said.

"That still doesn't tell me how you ended up here in Japan," Nakatsu replied, flopping into his seat.

"I came over here because I wanted to," Yue told him, for the fourth time that morning. "Sakuramoto Kitsune is a very good friend of my mother's (they've been friends since they were kids, actually) and she's letting me stay with her while I'm here."

"What does Sakuramoto-san do for a living, then?" Nakatsu prodded. He knew something was bothering his friend, and he wanted to find out just what it was. The two had already firmly established that it wasn't girl trouble, and Nakatsu didn't think that any of his friends were gay, so it had to be something else. Family was always a trouble in Nakatsu's mind.

"Kitsune-san? Well, I don't know, really," Yue said, thinking about it for the first time. "She doesn't talk about work, and I've never asked."

"Well, what about..." Nakatsu started, only to be cut off as Kyohei chose that same moment to greet Yue.

"Ohayo, Yue," Kyohei said, looking into Yue's deep brown eyes with his own brilliantly blue ones.

"Oh...ohayo gosaimasu, Kyohei-kun," Yue mumbled, bowing her head as she sat. "Yesterday went well for you, I suppose?"

Kyohei could tell that Yue had taken his words from the day before wrongly, but he didn't know how to tell her without revealing that he knew the prophecy her mother had made years before, and that he knew about the error in that prophecy. He knew his reply would probably hurt the brown haired girl even more, but he would make sure to apologize for it later, when everything could be explained and made right.

"Yeah, we covered a lot of ground yesterday," he said. "I got to do more than I thought I would be able to, actually."

Yue struggled to hold her tears back as the teacher came in and began to take attendance.

* * *

"Sohma Shigure," Ayame said, placing a steaming cup of coffee on the counter and turning to face the dog. "I suppose Hatori-san has already told you a bit about me and my work here," she continued.

"Ah, yes," Shigure stated, taking a bite of the croissant Kitsune had given him. "He seems a bit disturbed, to tell you the truth, and I can't say that I'm entirely comfortable with this, either."

"Well, the only person you should truly be worried about is Akito," Ayame said, sipping her coffee. "My family and I are here to fulfil the destinies we have been given by the stars, and nothing more. Well, that's not entirely true," she continued. "We're also here to help Honda Tohru in finding the key to breaking to Sohma curse."

"Why would you need to break the Sohma curse," Shigure inquired, growing suspicious of the chocolate haired woman that stood before him. "The Sohma family has very little to do with yours."

"That's where you're wrong," Kitsune interjected, placing a bowl of sliced fruits on the table. "The Sohmas and the Tsukishiro-Martinez family have quite a bit to do with each other."

**A/N: At long last, the missing surnames have come into the light! Interesting developments are coming up, aren't they? Anyhow, that's the end of another chapter, and I'll see you next time, in Chapter 27! Don't forget to review!**

**-Tsukishiro Ayame **


	27. Beyond Love

**A/N: Konban wa, Minna-sama! Here I am, finally, with a new chapter for you! I do apologise for the exceedingly long time it took me to update, but I have had so much going on lately that it isn't even funny. I don't recall if I mentioned this before, but I will be getting married on the 25th of November, and there's so much left to do for the wedding, and then the holidays are creeping up…gah. Anyway, enough of my banter. I give thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing my story, and I'm still waiting for my present, Raven-chan! I'll send yours soon, I promise! bows Gomen nasai!**

**DISCLAIMER: _Fruits Basket_ is the property of Tokyo Pop and Natsuki Takaya-sensei, and it is not in my power (or my wish) to state otherwise. The latest chapters of this fanfic prove that it would not be in the best interests of the fans of this particular series, either, lol.**

**Chapter 27: Beyond Love**

Into the moon  
Into the stars  
Awaken to kiss the drizzles of summer rain that caress the velvet sky  
Awaken to look into the ephemeral beauty of a loved one long gone  
Into the sea  
Into the sand  
Rest easy now that the tears have washed away  
Rest easy now that the truth is told  
Into the rain  
Into the snow  
Warm yourself in the face of a glowing flame  
Warm yourself in the serenity of peace  
Into the dream  
Into the thought  
Find tranquility in what you know is done  
Find tranquility in the words you will never speak again.

Tsukishiro Ayame R

Sohma Kyo had been dreaming. It was a pleasant dream, filled with memories of his past being washed away on the day that Honda Tohru had admitted her love to him and let him claim her as his own. It was a dream where he was hot with passion, his voice mingling with hers, as they finally released the cat from his burden of living without love. He had awoken to the sound of rain outside his window and decided that it would be a waste of time to stay in bed and try to combat the grogginess that accompanied the weather. After getting dressed, he made his way downstairs, the dream of him and Tohru, becoming one at last, still on his mind.

It was a dream that was to come true in a very small future.

* * *

Honda Tohru had awoken to find the sky a crystalline grey with the clouds hovering overhead as they threatened of rain. She dressed quickly and went downstairs, intent on making breakfast for the other residents of the humble household.

* * *

Sohma Shigure sat across the table from Tsukishiro Ayame, the chocolate-haired Seer that had come the Japan knowing the Sohma secret. He was not uncomfortable, nor was he relaxed. He just seemed…secure, knowing that these people were intent on fulfilling their business and nothing more. Slowly sipping the scalding drink that Sakuramoto Kitsune had set before him, Shigure listened to the tale of the Tsukishiro-Martinez clan, and how their destinies were intertwined with those of the Sohmas.

* * *

Takano Kyohei sat back in his seat, not paying a lick of attention to what the teacher was saying as he plotting his role in changing the destiny of Martinez Yue. He sighed, thinking of the best time to set his plan into effect when it hit him like a bolt of lightning out of the sky.  
"Hey, Yue," he whispered to the long-haired girl sitting next to him. "Your birthday is coming up soon, isn't it?"  
Yue looked at him curiously, wondering why he would care about her birthday. After all, Kyohei thought she was a boy, didn't he? And hadn't he just told her that he had gotten around the bases with his new girlfriend, Tae Nim Oh?  
"It's today, Kyohei-kun. Thank you for remembering," she responded bitterly. "I'm sure you and Tae Nim-san will be at the party we're having?"  
"You're having a party?" Kyohei asked, slightly surprised.  
"No, I'm not," Yue stated flatly, taking notes like the rest of the class. "It was something called sarcasm."  
"Oh."

* * *

At school, Kyo's mind was absent. His body was there, yes, but his mind was on a completely different plane. For the past hour, all the cat was able to think about was how he only had a few months left until he was locked away like the rest of the cats had been before him, and how he would be torn away from the one he loved the very most. The only way to stop that from happening, he knew, was for someone to find a way to break the Sohma curse. And that would be like asking it to snow in Flagstaff during July.

* * *

"And that's about it, Shigure-san," Ayame stated, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder. "My daughters are to marry into Sohma blood, and in order for any of them to fulfill that destiny, the Sohma curse must first be broken."  
"And that is where Tohru-kun comes in, is it?" the dog interrupted, finally relaxing in the presence of the strangers whose home he had spontaneously come to.  
"Indeed," Ayame replied. "That is where our dear Tohru-chan comes in. Kitsune-chan speculated from their visitation with Yue that Tohru and Kyo are a bit of item. In that light, it makes Tohru the perfect person to confront Akito about the Sohma family. She is also the one that must break the curse simply because she is one you all seem to trust."  
"That," Kistune interjected, "along with the fact that Honda Tohru is simply cut out to play heroine. She is not the most popular girl at school, she has had her hard times in life, and she is an honest person who is just now beginning to stand up for what she believes is right. I see that in her from the way she carries herself."  
Shigure was amazed. _That explains Tohru-kun to the point. It is astounding that this woman could see that after only meeting Tohru-kun once.  
_"So," Shigure said, brushing all other thoughts aside. "So, how exactly is Tohru-kun to go about breaking the curse that has plagued our family for so many generations? If it were simply done, don't you think it would have been broken already?  
Tsukishiro Ayame looked at the dog with mischievous eyes. "In response to your statement, Shigure-san, breaking the Sohma curse is simple, but at the same time nearly impossible."  
"Why do you say that?"  
"Because," Ayame continued, turning to gaze at the falling rain. "It is only as simple as taking on God himself."

**A/N: Sorry about the short chapter. But it looks like it's about time for things to heat up! Taking on God, huh? Hmm, wonder what that could mean. But stay tuned to find out! I'll update soon! Don't forget to review! **

Luv luvs,  
Tsukishiro Ayame R


	28. Hell Beckons, Heaven Calls

**A/N: Konyanyachiwa Minna-sama! O-genki desu ka? Watashi wa genki desu! Arigatou gosaimasu to all those who reviewed last chapter, and thank you to all those who continue to read this story.  
In response to one person's inquiry as to why I initially refer to my characters surname first, it is to respect the Japanese culture and traditions. In many Asian cultures, the surname is given first, and that is the way I choose to introduce my characters each chapter.  
In response to other statements about this story, I would just like to give you all a great big shout of thanks for supporting this fanfic and encouraging me to continue and update often. I apologize for failing to update on a regular basis, but I sincerely appreciate your sentiments and support all the same.  
Now enough banter. On with the fic!!**

**Chapter 28: Hell Beckons, Heaven Calls  
**"It is proof of God's omnipotence that he need not exist in order to save us."  
Peter De Vries

A cigarette dangled precariously from Sohma Hatori's lips as he reviewed the medical information he had on Sohma Akito for the third time that evening. Why that strangely alluring woman, Sakuramoto Kitsune, had requested it, he did not know. All he knew was that it was vitally important to Honda Tohru's impending battle with the one they referred to as "Kami-sama"—the one they all called "God."

_This is utterly ridiculous, _the dragon thought, flipping through the sheaf of papers. _If the secret to breaking the curse was hidden in these files, we certainly would have found it by now. _Taking a long drag off of his cigarette, Hatori turned his attention to the photograph that he'd kept on his desk for the longest time.

"Am I crazy for thinking that Tohru-chan could possibly be the answer to all our prayers, Kanna?" he asked the still image, reflected on all the pain that Akito had caused, and how much life the young brunette that had found a home in Sohma Shigure's residence had brought. "I wonder if you can ever forgive me, Kanna, for trying to find a way to break this curse and find my own happiness all over again, even if it must be without you."

Hatori had been in emotional turmoil for the past few days; dreams of an American blonde with blazing blue eyes and a real wild streak had been plaguing him. Each time he had laid down to sleep, he closed his eyes to see himself with Kanna during their short period of happiness, only to notice that Kanna had been replaced by the same woman that had him going through all his paperwork on Akito—that strangely intriguing woman by the name of Sakuramoto Kitsune.  
"Can you ever forgive me for wanting to love someone else again?" the dragon murmured softly, holding Kanna's portrait to his chest and taking another breath of that sweet menthol taste.

"My dear Kanna, I want to feel what love is like again."  
And with that statement, Hatori brushed a away the single tear that had leaked onto his cheek and went back to reviewing his files.

* * *

On the other side of town, Sohma Kyo and Honda Tohru sat on the roof of Shigure's house, watching the setting sun and enjoying the company of one another. It was a quiet evening for the young couple, and a rare moment indeed. Kyo had finally gotten over his fear of PDA and allowed Tohru to rest her head on his shoulder as he stroked the silky strands of her gingerbread scented hair.

"Kyo-kun," Tohru began, her voice a mere whisper, "do you believe that there is a way to break the curse?"

Kyo thought for a moment, wondering what had brought on this sudden inquiry.

"There has to be a way," he said at last. "There has to be a way that I can stay with you forever."

Tohru smiled into the cat's shoulder and straightened up. "I want you to stay with me forever, Kyo. I really do." Sadness suddenly washed over her face, especially evident in her ocean-colored eyes. "But if I can't find a way to break the curse soon, you'll be locked away from me, won't you?"

Kyo stiffened as he thought of the way that Akito would rip him away from his beloved Tohru and have him locked away in that god-awful place where he would be denied human contact and left to rot, as the previous soul who carried the spirit of the Cat had been before him.  
"…It can't be helped, I guess," he said sagging. "It's always been like that, though. That's the curse of the Cat."

"It doesn't have to be that way!" Tohru suddenly exploded, her voice so loud and vehement that a flock of birds took flight at the outburst. "I will find a way to break the curse, Kyo. I'll find a way for us to be together no matter what."

Kyo smiled at his beautiful girlfriend, his heart warmed by her determination and love for him.  
"If anyone can do it, Tohru," he said softly, "you can."

Then, right as the sun was tinting the horizon a beautiful tone of orangey-pink, the cat leaned in and kissed the love of his life, relaying to her all the love for her and belief he had in her.

* * *

Tsukishiro Ayame was having a very, very bad day. First, her pupil, Takano Kyohei, had failed to turn up for his meeting with her, then her oldest daughter had come home in one of the foulest moods she'd ever seen, and finally, she had answered her cell phone only to find out that the call was for her husband, Kei, from his _new girlfriend._ All in all, the Mooncastle Seer wanted very little else to go wrong for the remainder of her evening.

"Yue, please stop sulking about and help Kitsune-san with dinner," Ayame shouted up the stairs for the umpteenth time. "Takako, feed Shadow so he can stop meowing at me and Midori, stop cutting up pictures of your father. I'm sure he'll come to his senses soon enough. We'll see him when we get back to the States, okay? And God damn it all, where on earth is the adapter for my laptop?!"

"You are a complete mess, dear," Sakuramoto Kitsune said, thrusting a cup of steaming spiced cider into the frantic brunette's hands. "Your adapter is in the bag along with the rest of your computer gear, and I can handle dinner by myself just fine. Don't bother Yue. It seems she's having a bit of a hard time right now."

"Hmm?" Ayame responded, rifling through the bag and producing the "lost" adapter. "Did she say anything to you? She hasn't said a work to me since she came storming in the house this afternoon."

"No, but it is quite apparent that it's boy trouble. She's been upstairs in her room all evening, blasting Evanescence at an almost unbearable volume. Now, who does that remind you of?"

Ayame looked sheepishly at her friend, for she had just selected a song by Evanescence to play on her laptop. "Okay, okay, you win," she said, putting her hands up in surrender. "But it's not helpful to either my case or hers if Kyohei-kun can't even get his part done."

"Too true," the foxy blonde said. "But it's even less helpful for you to be working on something as big as this when you've just gone through hell, yourself."

"I know," Ayame sighed. "However, this is too important to just put on hold. The only way that I can ensure that destiny is fulfilled and that these precious children can achieve happiness is to break that curse. I know I'm not in the best of spirits right now, but maybe a crazy off-the-wall plan is just what we need to take on God."

"Hell beckons and Heaven calls," Kitsune muttered, walking into the kitchen to finish dinner. "You're going to send all of us to an early grave, my friend."

_Only if Akito doesn't succeed in doing it first,_ the Seer thought bitterly, checking to see if Kyohei had sent her any email.

* * *

Sohma Yuki was sprawled across his bed, a pillow clutched to his chest as he slept. His mind was occupied by a very interesting dream, one he had never had before.

In his dreamland, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly down onto the rose-covered gazebo as he watched his brother walk hand-in-hand down a red-carpeted aisle with a girl who had hair like melted chocolate and eyes of bittersweet candy. An identical girl stood by his own side, and he felt himself mechanically follow his brother to the gazebo where an orchestra began to play.

"Congratulations on your marriage, Young Master, " a voice said.  
"Doesn't Master Ayame look so dashing with his new bride?" said another.  
And on and on the voices went, complimenting Yuki and his older brother on how handsome they looked, how proud the family and friends were that they had found true happiness, how lovely the brides were.

"Yuki," a girl's voice said softly, "I'm so glad that you found me."  
"As am I, "Yuki heard himself say. "As am I, Midori, my love."

With that statement, the rat awoke with a start. _I don't know anyone with the name Midori, _he thought. _What on earth could that dream possibly mean?_

Little did he know, he was not the only one with unexplained premonitions.

* * *

Sohma Shigure was in his study, working on his latest manuscript and listening to the soothing sounds of Mozart when the phone rang. He answered it, expected to hear his editor's voice on the other line, complaining that his deadline was approaching.

"Hello," he started gaily, ready to send Mii into fits of hysteria over a manuscript that would be complete within the hour.

"Shigure." It was Hatori's voice that the dog heard. "We need to go to that house again."

"What for?" Shigure asked, suddenly much less excited than he had been mere seconds ago. "What's going on?"

"I just got a call from Sakuramoto-san," the dragon replied. "It seems that Tsukishiro-san has found something. Be sure to bring Tohru-chan and the others with you."

Shigure began to argue, but once his statement had been finished, Hatori hung up on the slightly confused dog.

_This had better be good, _he thought, making his way to Yuki's room.

* * *

"Hell beckons, Heaven calls," Tsukishiro Ayame stated to the little crowd that had assembled itself in Sakuramoto Kitsune's living room. "It's what I'm calling this project."

"Tsukishiro-san," Yuki interrupted, his violet eyes filled with curiosity and just a hint of suspicion. "Before you continue, I have a question I believe only you and Sakuramoto-san would have the answer to."

The other occupants of the room, Kyo, Tohru, Shigure, Kitsune, Hatori, Ayame, and Shadow all looked at him.

"I had this dream today," the rat continued, taking the Seer's silence as her permission to question, "where my brother and I were getting married to identical twins. There was a gazebo covered in peach colored roses, and the sky was clear. My bride's name was Midori. "

At the mention of her daughter, Ayame smiled slightly.

"But I don't know of anyone with that name. I know your daughter, Yue, because we were friends a long time ago. But what does the name Midori mean to me?" Yuki finished.

"You will find out in due time, dear," Kitsune answered, looking at Ayame with a smile on her face as well. "But what we are here to discuss is of higher priority than that. I don't mean to say that your dream is of little importance," she added quickly, noticing the bewildered look on the rat's face. "It's just that there is an order to things."

"Like, I was saying," Ayame interjected, standing to pace the room, "I am calling this project 'Hell beckons, Heaven calls.' It is a title I deemed appropriate, considering the course of action we will need to take to overthrow the most powerful being known to mankind—God."

"This plan involves a lot of secrecy, and it will be dangerous," Kyohei said, taking his cue. "It took a lot of collaboration to come up with, and it still has a few holes in it, but we're going to try and work the kinks out in this meeting. I don't care if we're here until morning, but we are going to have a fool-proof plan to put into effect by Sunday afternoon."

Hatori almost dropped the cigarette he was lighting and Shigure coughed. Kyo stared at the three speakers in utter shock while all Yuki and Tohru could do was fiddle with their fingers and wait, with suspense building, for the plan to be revealed. Shadow simply hopped onto a vacant spot on the couch and proceeded to groom his tail.

After three minutes of deathly silence, Kyo finally spoke."ARE YOU ALL OUT OF YOUR MINDS?!"

"We just might be," Ayame laughed. "Considering that it's already Friday evening, we just very well might be."

* * *

Sunday morning dawned cold and bright. Sohma Akito stretched his hands high above his head and looked out at the still pond from his window. A single sparrow lit on his hand and Akito looked at for a moment before it fell from his hand, lifeless and as cold as the rocks that lined his garden outside. Rising from his bed, God made his way to his closet to dress.

* * *

At the same time that the sparrow had fallen from Akito's hand, Honda Tohru awoke to see the early frost on her open window and feel the faint breeze. Dressing herself in a Bohemian style brown skirt and a simple but dressy turquoise top, she made her way to bathroom to brush her teeth and pull her hair into a loose ponytail. Tension was evident in her seawater eyes, and stress seemed to pull her features into an image of a woman twice her age. Tohru was remembering a time long ago, when she had first gone to confront the man that controlled the core of the Zodiac curse.

She remembered that day perfectly, it played in her mind like a DVD on a brand-new Sony LCD Screen TV. She remembered how she had gone without intention, without thought as to what she would say to the head of the Sohma family. She remembered how she had finally found her words when Akito had lashed out at her for thinking she knew what the curse did to him. What knowing that he was born only to die did to his psyche, his heart.

She remembered how fearful he looked, and how he tried to hide that fear with a face full of hatred and rage. Her memory produced a perfect image of that face, the face of a young man who had never known what kindness truly meant, a young man who had never known what true friendship was, and what it was like to live for the moment, not for the words of someone who had been cursed and hated before him.

Tohru took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

The trip to the Main House was a quiet one. The cars were filled with tension and excitement as their occupants sat in silence, each one thinking of what would happen once the put the plan into action.

Sohma Shigure, Sohma Kyo, Sohma Yuki, Honda Tohru, and Sohma Hatori all rode in the black 1966 Pontiac LeMans that had become Hatori's signature vehicle. They were crammed, but no one complained, for they were all far too anxious and nervous to even speak to one another. The same emotions were present in the burgundy metallic 1969 Corvette Stingray that followed. Tsukishiro Ayame, Sakuramoto Kitsune, and the three Martinez-Tsukishiro girls, Yue, Midori, and Takako, all rode in the Mooncastle Seer's dream car.

As the troupe pulled into the driveway of the Main House, their fears multiplied seven-fold. For there, in the middle of the driveway, stood none other than God himself, Sohma Akito.

**A/N: AHHH, I'm so mean! ROFL I know, I know, I did it again, I left you all with a really mean cliff-hanger. But still, this was a pretty good sized chapter, right? And it wouldn't be any fun to write all of this and then tell you what happens without making you review, now would it? Lol. Here, I'll make a deal with you guys. Read, review, tell me what you think (and be honest here, people!), and as soon as I get ten reviews for this chapter I'll update and tell you all what happens with the plan, okay? Sounds good, so get reviewing, people!**

**Lots of love, and until next time,  
Tsukishiro Ayame R**


	29. Carpe Diem: Seize the Day

**A/N: Okay, okay, I'm sorry about the last chapter. I know there were typos, I know the cliffhanger sucked big-time, and I know you all think that I'm absolutely nuts for writing it. BUT! You all still enjoyed it, and you know how I know? I know because you're hear, reading the next chapter, and you just can't wait to find out what happens with our little troupe going against Akito. –sticks out tongue- So "nyah." Anyway, thanks to all of you for your wonderful reviews, and all your support for this fanfic. I might take a break from this particular story for a while after this, if I even decide to continue post-chapter 29, so I can actually work on some of my other fics that have had very little attention.  
A special thanks goes out to Raven-chan for her continued support of this fanfic, as well as to that exuberant fan of Sohma Ayame, who was one of my first readers and gave me unimaginable support through reviews and letters. Arigatou gosaimasu yo! –bows- I am so appreciative of all you have given me and this work of fanfiction.  
Another shout-out to ALL the fans that have supported this fanfic and reviewed. I, Tsukishiro Ayame R, am truly grateful and hope that I can give you all some more works to look forward to in the future.  
THANK YOU!!**

**Chapter 29: Carpe Diem: Seize the Day**

"All people want is someone to listen."  
Hugh Elliot

That early Sunday afternoon, the trip to the Main House was a quiet one. The two cars were filled with tension and excitement as their occupants sat in silence, each one thinking of what would happen once the put the plan into action.

Sohma Shigure, Sohma Kyo, Sohma Yuki, Honda Tohru, and Sohma Hatori all rode in the black 1966 Pontiac LeMans that had become Hatori's signature vehicle. They were crammed, but no one complained, for they were all far too anxious and nervous to even speak to one another. The same emotions were present in the burgundy metallic 1969 Corvette Stingray that followed. Tsukishiro Ayame, Sakuramoto Kitsune, and the three Martinez-Tsukishiro girls, Yue, Midori, and Takako, all rode in the Mooncastle Seer's dream car.

As the troupe pulled into the driveway of the Main House, their fears multiplied seven-fold. For there, in the middle of the driveway, stood none other than God himself, Sohma Akito.

* * *

On the inside of the Main House, within the small room that Sohma Akito called his own, Sohma Shigure, Sohma Hatori, Sohma Yuki, Honda Tohru, Sakuramoto Kitsune, Tsukishiro Ayame, Martinez-Tsukishiro Yue, Takano Kyohei and even Sohma Kyo, held audience with Sohma Akito. Martinez-Tsukishiro Midori and her twin, Takako, were taken by servants to Sohma Momiji's room, where they spent some time getting to know the young rabbit and his cousins, Sohma Hatsuharu, Sohma Hiro, and Sohma Kisa.

Outside the closed door, the Sohma servants stood with bated breath as they watched their masters and mistresses, Sohma Kagura, Sohma Ritsu, Sohma Rin, and Sohma Ayame knelt with their ears pressed against the door, listening to what was going on inside.

* * *

"Sohma Akito," Sakuramoto Kitsune began, bowing as gracefully and respectfully as possible from her kneeling position on the floor, "We have come here, humbly requesting an audience with you in regards to the Zodiac curse that has plagued your family name for generations."

"Who do you think you are?!" Akito roared, hearing the word "curse" come from this stranger's mouth. "What do you know about our curse? What do you know about living in pain, about living only to die?!"

"We know," Tsukishiro Ayame interrupted, her temper rising at the uncalled-for outburst, "that your attitude towards this curse, and the curse itself, affects each and every one of these young people that you see before you, not to mention their friends and family."

"We know," Takano Kyohei echoed, "that our destinies are wound within this curse just as much as your lives are."

"SHUT UP!" Akito shouted. "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT IT IS LIKE TO LIVE WITH A CURSE! YOU KNOW NOTHING!!"

"But we do, Akito-san."

Akito whirled to look bewilderedly at Yuki, who had suddenly found the audacity to defy God's word.

"How dare you speak to me like that, Yuki." Akito's voice was a deadly whisper, and his face was contorted into a mask of fury. "How dare you speak to me as if you had the right to defy me. Do not forget who owns you, Yuki. Do not forget about that room I have. The room I have that was made just for you."

Yuki, who had been oppressed by memories of that cage-like room for years, suddenly looked as if he were going to be sick. Memories thrashed about in his mind, screams of terror shook at his brain and he felt the pain of Akito's whip all over again. Terror was evident on his face, and Akito smiled wickedly, knowing what the memories were doing to him.

"Your words are no more than memories," Tohru spoke up. She, like all the others, still knelt on the floor, the very image of respect towards this being that called himself God, this being that inflicted pain and terror on all those who had what he didn't—those who had friends, and had lives.

"No more than memories," Tohru repeated, her head bowed so that she looked at the floor. "And memories can be forgotten, just like pain and hurtful things that happened in the past."  
Everyone sat in silence as the brunette with eyes like flaming sapphire spoke, her voice soft, but determined.

"Akito-san," she continued, looking up into those bottomless ebony eyes that filled with rage at her words. "I still do not know what it is like to live as you do, with a curse, knowing that I was born only to die. But as I said that last time we spoke, we are all happy to have met you, and that we are happy you are alive."

"Don't give me that bullshit," Akito said suddenly. "No one is happy I'm alive! They can't wait for me to die so that they can be rid of me! That's why I am the core of this curse…don't you know that? They can't wait for me to die!"

"That's not true, Akito-san," Tohru continued. "No one had ever said it before, but we all want to love you. We want to be friends with you as long as possible. We want you to be a part of everyone else's lives."

Akito looked ready to explode at this girl's blasphemy. He was ready to stake his miserable life that all that was coming from this girl's lips were lies. He was ready to strike her across the face and demand that Hatori erase her memory when he was stunned into silence and utter shock. Somehow, without him knowing, Yuki, Hatori, and Shigure had suddenly appeared at his side, hands outstretched, palms up, as if they were waiting for him to place his own hand in theirs. Even Kyo had somehow appeared behind him, the cat's hand on his shoulder in a gesture of friendship.

It was killing the four, but they knew they had to make the effort.

As Akito was trying to gather his thoughts and prepare to lash out at the fools who had dared to touch him, to come this close to him, he saw Tohru stand and smile into his eyes. Looking directly into the eyes of Kami-sama, Tohru spoke:  
"All people want is someone to listen," she said softly. "If you ever feel angry, sad, or alone, Akito-san, we are here. We are all here to listen."

Akito still stood, not knowing what to do. What was this sudden emotion that was coursing through his body? What was this feeling that made him suddenly feel lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders?

_"We are all here to listen."_

Those words echoed throughout his entire being, and with them they brought emotions he thought he would never feel. Those words brought Akito comfort, warmth, and a sense that the world wasn't as dark and dreary as he had thought it was since the day his parents had told him he was born to die.

_"We are all here to listen."_

Suddenly sagging and falling to his knees, Akito placed his right hand on his cheek and felt the moisture of a single tear. Never in his life had he allowed himself to cry in front of others. Why should he? He was God, wasn't he? Did God have any weaknesses? Did God every cry?  
With a voice choked with tears, Akito finally spoke.

Suddenly sagging and falling to his knees, Akito placed his right hand on his cheek and felt the moisture of a single tear. Never in his life had he allowed himself to cry in front of others. Why should he? He was God, wasn't he? Did God have any weaknesses? Did God every cry? With a voice choked with tears, Akito finally spoke. 

"I will not allow you to listen to a word I say."

Everyone in the room looked shocked, and they all sagged in defeat. The only way to release everyone from the curse was to get the core, God himself, to accept all the animals, all his relatives, as his friends and to regard each of them with equal love. It looked like the curse would not be broken in this lifetime.

"I will not allow you to listen to a word I say, " Akito repeated, "unless you all, and those who are part of the curse, but not present here, will attend a banquet as God had done long ago, and you all come only in spirits worthy to befriend me."

"It's agreed," Shigure said, speaking for them all.

* * *

The banquet that Akito hosted that Friday night was the most elaborate any of the Zodiac had ever seen. It was also the first banquet that included the cat, and it was there that Kyo had the liberty of joining a tradition that was done exclusively on New Year's. Akito had allowed it in order to prove to everyone just how much Tohru's words had affected him, and how much it meant to him to finally have friends after his many years of suffering alone.

All the Sohmas were present, even those who were not possessed by vengeful spirits. Sohma Ayame had finally gotten to meet the dark-haired girl he had noticed on the street where Sakuramoto Kitsune lived, and they were hitting it off quite well. Takako's playful spirit was second only to his own exuberant sense of self and oversized ego.

Yuki finally got to know what the name Midori meant when he noticed that his older brother was flirting shamelessly. He had approached the two, ready to apologize for his older brother only to find that the girl was having just as much fun as the snake was. And upon noticing Yuki's storm-cloud hair and large lavender eyes, she had fetched her twin and introduced the two. Yuki didn't think that meeting someone under such circumstances would make them worthy of becoming husband and wife as he had seen in his dream, but after speaking with Midori for a while, he began to notice how alike they were, and enjoyed the company of someone who knew what it was like to have a sibling who was just too much to handle.

Honda Tohru had been allowed the liberty of inviting her two closest friends, Saki Hanajima and Arisa Uotani, as there was very little to hide from them anymore. Afterall, even Akito had said it: "The curse has already been broken, so why not enjoy the company of friends?"

For once, the wave-girl and Shigure were getting along nicely; it seemed that Hanajima was one of very few people with a genuine interest in the novelist's works.

Uotani had found the same man she had run into at a part-time job at the banquet, and she was ecstatic. Sohma Kureno, the enigmatic Sohma that very few had ever gotten to meet, was also pleased to see her, and he was even more pleased to know that he was free to love without fear of Akito's vengeance. The two had taken seats next to one another and caught up with each other on all that had happened during Kureno's "disappearance."

Martinez-Tsukishiro Yue was slightly confused at her mother's acceptance of Takako's shameless flirting with Ayame, for she was still under the impression that it was her destiny to join hands with the snake in marriage, but when she heard her mother say "Destiny is simply unfolding before us," she relaxed and began to enjoy the evening without worries. She enjoyed it even more when Kyohei had taken her to the side and explained everything about his meeting with Tsukishiro Ayame and his cryptic words that had the teen assuming that her crush was going out with the Korean girl, Tae Nim Oh. Yue had just about taken the Gackt look-a-like's head off when he had admitted that he knew she was a girl all along, but forgave him when he said the only girl he wanted to be with was sitting right next to him. Yue had blushed a violent crimson at that, but she was content.

"Carpe diem. Seize the day." These were Akito's last words at the end of the night. "These words are my gift to you all, my new friends. I thank you for coming forth and bringing me out of my darkness, Honda Tohru. For you, I am thankful, and I am happy."

As a matter of fact, all of those present at the banquet were happy, for the curse had been lifted and they had all found what was truly important.

They had found life, friends, and love, which amounted to what anyone in the room would have told you was the very definition of true happiness.

**A/N: And that is the end! I don't know if it's the end of this story, but I really do think it is. Sorry for the lame strategy to breaking the curse, but hey, it worked out alright. I might give you all an epilogue later on, but that will most definitely be the end to this fanfic. Once again, I thank you all for your support and I hope you will read my other fanfics and tell me what you think of them. If you have time to waste and can't resist, review this chapter and if you want an epilogue, be sure to tell me in your reviews. If the majority want it, I will give. Other than that, thanks for staying with me until the end you guys. **

Until I think of a new fanfiction for you, this is Tsukishiro Ayame R, signing off.

Much love to all the _Furuba_ **fans out there. **


	30. Epilogue

**A/N: Due to the popularity of this story and all the wonderful reviews I have received regarding it, I am proud to present you all with the final piece: the epilogue. Thank you all for the support and time you spent reading this fanfic. I am so grateful to all of you, and hope to bring you more reading material in the near future. Arigatou gosaimasu to you all.**

**Tsukishiro Ayame R.**

**DISCLAIMER: The basis for this fanfiction, _Fruits Basket_, and all its characters, are not mine. They are the creation and property of the illustrious goddess Natsuki Takaya-sensei, and all credit for the actual manga and anime series should be given to her. **

**WARNING: This fanfiction has been rated M, but you won't see any ingredients in this chapter. Lol.**

**EPILOGUE**

Four years had passed since Honda Tohru, Sohma Kyo, and Sohma Yuki had graduated high school. Sohma Akito was still alive and very much pleased with all the new friends he had been able to make in the few years he had opened his heart.  
The sky was a gloriously clear blue, the sun was shining down upon the whispering grass, and a soft breeze tickled the white banners and petals of calla lilies that had been wrapped throughout a mahogany trellis. Cream colored sashes were tied to seats and gold ribbons played in the breeze from atop the gazebo that had been erected. An orchestra played soft preludes as all the guests filed into their seats and smiles were seen on almost every face in the park. The one face that held an expression other than that of pure joy was the face of none other than Sohma Kyo.

"Stop fussing over me!" the orange-haired twenty-two year old was exclaiming, pushing his cousins off of him and scowling at his "father," Sohma Kazuma, as he adjusted his tie for the umpteenth time that afternoon. "I get that you're all excited, but give some room to breathe, damn it!"  
Sohma Yuki sighed at his cousin's antics and adjusted his own tie. "Really, Kyo, you should act your age for once. You're not a child anymore."

"Who made you king, eh?" Kyo snappishly replied, balling his fists. "I'll kick your ass here and now, you damned rat!"

"Boys, boys!" Sohma Shigure shouted, laughing. "Come now, it's your wedding day! Can't you two at least pretend to get along, just this once? We are surrounded by delicate flowers! Beautiful, underage girls! Just think of…" Shigure's speech was suddenly cut short as both Yuki and Kyo landed blows to the back of his head.

"Perverted dog," they murmured.

* * *

Honda Tohru was having troubles of her own back at the house. Martinez Yue, Uotani Arisa, Saki Hanajima, Sohma Rin, Sohma Kagura, and Sakuramoto Kitsune were all bustling about trying to get ready while Tsukishiro Ayame spent hours in the bathroom.  
"MOM!" Yue shouted, "Other people need to use the mirrors, too, you know! You're not the only one who needs to look prim and proper today!"  
"Her waves are telling me that she feels she's the only one who needs to use an entire bottle of Olay Definity, today, though," Hanajima stated, a rare smile gracing her delicate features.  
line  
An hour (and a lot more yelling) later, everyone was finally assembled at the park. All the Sohma parents were present, and Akito had even brought a female companion along. The orchestra struck up the wedding march, and the engaged parties began to file down the aisle, making their way to the altar.  
On the groom's side stood the best man, Sohma Momiji, Sohma Hiro and some friends from school to act as groomsmen, and the six grooms: Sohma Hatsuharu, Sohma Yuki, Sohma Kyo, Sohma Shigure, Takano Kyohei and Sohma Kureno. The bride's side was made up of Tsukishiro Ayame as Matron of Honor, Sohma Kagura, Sohma Kisa, and a few of Yue's friend's from the states as bridesmaids, and, of course, the brides themselves: Sohma Rin, Martinez Midori, Honda Tohru, Saki Hanajima, Martinez Yue, and Sakuramoto Kitsune.

* * *

The ceremony was long and (in Kyo's opinon) tedious, but nearly everyone shed a few tears when it came time for exchanging of the rings and the kisses. When it came time for the first dance, all the couples were escorted to the center of the open field and the orchestra struck up a most melodic tune. It was truly a beautiful sight. The brides' dresses shone in the sunlight; white, cream, and ivory fabric swishing about as the sun's rays dances off of rhinestones and glimmering jewels. The grooms were dressed to impress, as well. Each one wore an ivory tuxedo with gold vests and cream colored ties that reflected light just as well as their partner's rings. The field was alight with the sparkling rays of ten rings and five glimmering diamonds. The smiles that graced each face were just as beautiful, and all who looked upon the scene could swear that it was a fairy-tale dream come true for the five beautiful brides and handsome groomsmen that joined hands in marriage that day.

* * *

Kyo looked into the eyes of his new wife and felt as though nothing in the world could go wrong. Her sapphire eyes held the warmth of a thousand fires and he knew that he was in heaven. Tohru smiled up at him, feeling exactly what he was feeling. Nothing would ever tear them apart. 

The same could be said for all the other couples that had just been blessed with holy sanctimony. Kitsune and Kureno, Hanajima and Shigure, Rin and Hatsuharu, Yuki and Midori. They were all in bliss, and nothing would ever change that.

* * *

On the other side of the world, on the sunny beaches of Honolulu, Sohma Ayame and his bride, Takako, were basking in the glory of their own wedding. Ayame was highly upset that he was missing out on his brother's wedding day, but he knew he would get countless photos and know all about it once he called Sohma Hatori. Ayame and Takako had decided to get married on the same day as everyone else, but they were stuck in Hawaii because Ayame's clothing business had finally took flight and the newlyweds were busily setting up a fashion show that would take place that weekend on Big Island. 

_I'll give Yuki his wedding present then,_ Ayame thought, as he watched his wife tailor some evening gowns with the assistance of his helper, Mine. Yuki and all the others had promised that they would attend the fashion show.

It looked like things were perfectly normal in the world of the Sohmas and those they came to love.

A/N: Love to all of you, and I hope to pleasure you with more stories in the future.

Tsukishiro Ayame R.


End file.
